Category: STRWC

A Mika Review:  The Devil’s Ride (Sex & Mayhem #2) by K.A. Merikan

Rating:   5 out of 5

The Devil's Ride coverTooth. Vice President of the Coffin Nails Motorcycle Club. On a neverending quest for vengeance. The last thing he needs is becoming a permanent babysitter for a male hooker.
Lucifer. Fallen. Lost. Alone.

After a childhood filled with neglect and abuse, followed by his mother’s suicide, Lucifer set out into the world alone. There was nothing for him out there other than taking it one day at a time. As the bastard son of the Coffin Nails club president, Lucifer never got much fatherly love. So when the Nails show up at the strip joint Lucifer works in, the last thing he expects is to be put in the custody of Tooth, Nails Vice President famous for his gruesome interrogation techniques. The man proves to be the sexiest beast Lucifer has ever met. He is also older, straight, and an itch Luci can’t ever scratch.

Tooth’s life came to a halt twelve years ago. His lover got brutally murdered, police never found the perpetrators, and all leads were dead ends. To find peace and his own justice, Tooth joined the Coffin Nails, but years on, he’s gotten nowhere with the case, yet still lives on with the burning fire for revenge.
Babysitting a deeply scarred teenager with a talent for disappearing is the last thing on his bucket list. He promised himself to never get attached to someone like him again. To make sure the openly gay boy is safe in the clubhouse, Tooth is stuck keeping an eye on him. The big, blue, attention seeking gaze is drawing Tooth in, but fucking the president’s son is a complete no-go, even when both their feelings go beyond lust.

What Tooth doesn’t know is that Lucifer might hold the key to the closure Tooth so desperately needs.

Tooth is my biker hubby! I have spoken exclusively with Kat about my significant hatred of Stitch. I was hoping that the next biker was still a bad ass but loveable. Well, I asked and boy did she deliver. People, Tooth is amazing in every sense of the word. I loved everything about this book. It was a slow burner for sure. It was very different from book 1 in every way it could be. I kept telling myself that this was a rainbow, fluffy biker book. I loved it, I enjoyed the sentimental side of the story. Seriously, I do not know if I’ve ever read a biker book where the treatment, and judgment of such a club was welcoming. Sure everything was peaches and cream, but I expected the worst and I was shocked how easy it was. I love Luci, he was damaged from his past, but he slowly but surely gave himself over. I honestly was right with Tooth in wanting to protect him. One thing I was worried about was the age gap and I wanted it to be far bigger, I do not think 19-32 was that bad. I was hoping for 40’s to early 20’s but I was happy with what we got instead.

Tooth was careful, trusting, and just downright sexy. From his first moments on the page, I was enthralled with him. Every biker character brought something different. For all of Priests’ misgivings I was proud of him. He was not the father that Luci needed in his earlier life but he was adjusting. I kept thinking of how this big bad biker club in Detroit was going to be okay with a cute blond twink living in the club, nothing dramatic happened. I don’t think the derogatory word “f*&” was used more than once. I am really impressed the level of acceptance that was portrayed by the mc club. I liked the Priest admitted he wasn’t perfect, that was a great viewpoint to put forth.

The romance was hot, and at times really beautiful because of both mc’s history. I do not know how I feel about some of the plot storyline. I think it could have been different, but as it was plausible, it didn’t take away from the story for me. I did not know how I was going to feel with the Satanist route, but again it didn’t take away from the story. Every biker had all Lucifer’s different names. It was funny at times, and I honestly will miss Bell. I hope we get a novella, or another book for them. I’m definitely rooting for these two.

I would recommend this book to everyone. It was not that BDSM heavy, it was hurt/comfort at most. It was Tooth needing to redeem himself because of his past, and Luci needing someone to love him. I would recommend this to lovers of all things bikers, this duo made me fall in love with bikers all over. They showed me that not everybody in the biker world has to be nasty or rude. Some people are accepting of certain things.

Cover Art by Natasha Snow. I loved it. I kept looking at the cover, wishing I could see Tooth’s face. I really think it showed  a visual picture of Tooth, his masculinity while he was really caring and sweet.

Sales Links:    All Romance (ARe)      amazon        buy it here
Book Details:
eBook, 489 pages
Published December 5, 2014 by Acerbi&Villani ltd.
ISBN:
Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: The Boy with the Painful Tattoo (Holmes & Moriarity #3) by Josh Lanyon

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The Boy with the Painful Tattoo coverStill dealing with the fallout from their recent investigation and murder,  mystery author Christopher “Kit” Holmes decided to overcome his misgivings and move in with his lover and fellow mystery writer, Julian Xavier “JX” Moriarity, a decision that has precipitated a move to San Francisco and a new house.  What could go wrong?

Well, almost everything.  With boxes still piled all around them, JX heads off to the Murder at Midtown conference, leaving Kit to ponder on the wisdom of this latest move…relationship and house.  Still, nothing  prepares Kit for the dead body under the Styrofoam beads in the crate that should have contained his old and treasured china.

Packing will have to wait while more mysteries pop up to solve along with dead bodies.  Who is the dead man?  Why is he in Kit and JX’s crate?  And importantly, what happened to Kit’s china?

I have been waiting for another book in the Holmes & Moriarity series since December 2010 when I finished the marvelous story, All She Wrote (Holmes & Moriarity #2).  The aftermath of the murders and events of that novel were nothing short of earthshattering. And that story left me wonderfing what would happen next…to both our main characters as well as their relationship.  Now, four years later I finally have my answer with The Boy With The Painful Tattoo (Holmes & Moriarity #3). Well, sort of, and I couldn’t be happier.

I said “sort of” because as any fan of Josh Lanyon’s and his stories know, nothing is ever a sure thing, including an absolutely happy resolution with his characters or their relationships.  Whether it is Adrien English and his lover, the tormented, closeted Jake Riordan (who make guest appearances here), or Kit Holmes and JX Moriarity, the foundation on which their lives and relationships is built lies on shaky ground, a terrain where you almost expect to see the fissures and cracks that habitually appear to threaten their relationship, sanity, and in some cases, their lives.  Also well known to us fans is that the source for some of these ruptures and interruptions spring from and are self inflicted by the complex, introspective and wounded men that Josh Lanyon writes so well.

We live in the mind of Kit Holmes in this series and what a mind that is!  Highly intelligent, questioning, somewhat quarrelsome, and introspective, Kit’s emotionally and mentally scattered when we jump into their new life and home on Chestnut Lane.  His decision, prompted by the awful events in the last book, to move in with JX has seen him give up his home in Southern California to move with all his treasured belongings to San Francisco where JX can be close to his ex wife and nephew (long story, read the books).  And at every step and moment we know (as we are listening into his internal monologue) that Kit constantly questions whether he has done the right thing, if their relationship will work out, and how will they juggle the changing dynamics that the reversal in their career fortunes is introducing into their partnership.  There is so much stuff crammed into that brilliant skull that it would be exhausting for all trying to untangle it if it wasn’t also so marvelously entertaining.  And wouldn’t Kit just hate that!

I adore Kit in all his difficult, brooding glory but I have also fallen in love with  JX, a  man with his own “quieter” set of issues and problems.  JX is an author whose career is on the rise just as Kit’s popularity as an author and mystery genre is falling out of favor.  But whereas Kit’s wears his foibles and somewhat contentious nature like a well fitted suit, JX’s flaws and complexities are far more subtle, needing a major crash, explosion or even murder to bring them out into the open.  The juxtaposition of these two strong personalities as they struggle to maintain a relationship or investigation makes this series and this book always absorbing and highly addictive.

How can you not love a man whose just had the best, most explosive sex of his life,, and then spends the next moments pondering (internally of course) what’s wrong with it, them and himself?  All while still in bed, naked and sweaty?  If, as Socrates says “an unexamined life is not worth living”, then Kit Holmes is living life to the fullest!

And there are more joys to be found with this latest installment of Holmes & Moriarity.  Their move onto Chestnut Lane has brought them a curious neighbor with the wonderful name of Emmaline Bloodworth.  Any one with a familiarity of British cozies should be rubbing their hands together in anticipation.  Here is our (and Kit’s) first introduction to her:

I saw a small person of indeterminate sex, dressed in baggy clothes. At first glance it appeared that one of the garden gnomes from next door had come to life. And had something to say about it.

“Good morning!” the gnome greeted me. She had one of those fluting, high voices that brought to mind Sunday school teachers and curators at the most macabre exhibits at the Tower of London. A voice like an ice pick through your left eye socket. “Welcome to the neighborhood. So sorry to disturb you on your first morning, but the movers must have broken one of the sprinkler heads along your front walk.”

“Oh. Uh…okay.”

As I seemed to be missing the point, she said kindly, “Water is shooting up like a geyser out there. There’s a drought going on, you know.”

She was probably in her sixties, but unlike my former mentor Anna Hitchcock, no effort here had been made to stave off the ravages of time. Not that she looked ravaged. Beneath the wide brim of her hat I could just make out twinkling blue eyes in a round and rosy face.

And yes, she has a cat which just happens to resemble in name and appearance the feline that figures so largely in Kit’s mystery novels.  Another mystery to solve?  I hope so.

And then there is Inspector Ishwar “Izzie” Jones, SFPD and JX’s former partner, Rachel Ving or Ving the Merciless as Kit’s agent is known who wants Kit to write Swedish type mysteries, JX’s ex wife and former sister in law Nina and Gage, her son and his nephew (really, you must read the first two stories).  The Boy with the Painful Tattoo is chock full of the most wonderful characters and intriguing situations you could hope for, especially in ones that act as secondary storylines along side the primary ones of murder most foul and a relationship still looking to find solid ground, albeit temporarily.

Yes, I loved this book, yes, I adore this series and I think any lover of mysteries (M/M or otherwise) will as well.  Combine a terrific mystery with two believable and charismatic men trying to balance lives, love, and careers and you have author whose series and main characters should be on everyone’s Must Have, Must Read lists.   I can’t wait to see what happens next in the lives of Holmes & Moriarity but if you are new to this couple, start with the first mystery where they are reunited in Somebody Killed His Editor (Holmes & Moriarity #1).  Continue onto All She Wrote (Holmes & Moriarity, #2), before arriving here at The Boy with the Painful Tattoo (Holmes & Moriarity, #3).  If you’ve been good or perhaps very, very naughty and good, you might find them in your eReader stocking!

I love Josh Lanyon and this story is just another reason why he should be on everyone’s top list of authors whose stories you must have.  Consider The Boy With The Painful Tattoo one of my Highly Recommneded Reads!

Cover art by L.C. Chase.  Love the cover.  It has that sort of Noir feel to it of the older mystery novel covers. Great job.

Sales Links:  Josh Lanyon        All Romance (ARe)         amazon                  buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 228 pages
Published October 5th 2014 by Just Joshin (first published October 3rd 2014)
original titleThe Boy with the Painful Tattoo
ISBN139781937909376
edition languageEnglish
seriesHolmes & Moriarity #3

Books in the  Holmes & Moriarity series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the timeline of events and relationship history:

Somebody Killed His Editor (Holmes & Moriarity #1)
All She Wrote (Holmes & Moriarity, #2)
The Boy with the Painful Tattoo (Holmes & Moriarity, #3)

 

A Mika Review:  Unwrapping Hank by Eli Easton

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Unwrapping Hank coverSloane loves a good mystery. He grew up as the son of two psychiatrists, so he finds most people tediously easy to figure out. He finds his way to Pennsylvania State University, longing for a rural experience, and ends up being lured into joining a frat by Micah Springfield, the hippest guy on campus.

 Nothing in Sloane’s classes is as intriguing as Hank Springfield, Micah’s brother and fellow frat house member. Hank looks like a tough guy—big muscles, tattoos, and a beard—but his eyes are soft and sweet. He acts dumb, but he’s a philosophy major. He’s presumably straight, but then why does Sloane feel such crazy chemistry whenever Hank is around? And why does Hank hate Sloane so much?

When Sloane ends up stuck on campus over Christmas, Micah invites him to spend the holidays at their family farm in Amish country. It’s a chance to experience a true Americana Christmas–and further investigate the mystery that is Hank Springfield.

Can Sloane unlock the secrets of this family and unwrap the heart hidden inside the beefcake?

I really enjoyed this novella length book. I liked Sloane from the beginning, he was hilarious. Sloane is a freshman new pledge living in the Delta Sigma Phi at Pennsylvania State University; he is extremely cynical for such a young age. We can attribute these to his not so attentive parents, who are world class psychologist and jet setters. Sloane immediately attacked to the big buff guy with tattoos washing dishes in the frat house. Hank is that guy, I liked him, sure he seemed a little OCD-ish with the working out, but to each it’s own. I honestly didn’t see him as the frat type based on the other guys but that’s what I liked about the story.

Instantly Sloane is taken with Hank, because how could he not? This guy is a walking contradiction. I liked the little ways that Sloane tried to figure Hank out. It was down right funny at times. Micah is definitely a character that steals certain scenes. He’s Hank’s older brother and president of the frat, he also a sweet, down to earth guy. I liked Micah because he was super supportive to both guys.

Sloane’s parents end up ditching him for Christmas, thus leaving Sloane all alone in the States. Who comes to the rescue, Micah of course? I don’t want to give away the rest but there are definitely sweet moments, electricity moments, and tears to me.  An Amish sighting and all types of pie. There are instances where Sloane doesn’t know what to do, but between Micah being extremely helpful and Hank playing coy, I felt we all were winning. I hope Eli decides to give us Micah’s story because I need to know his decisions.

I definitely recommend Unwrapping Hank by Eli Easton.  It has terrific characters and enjoyable plot.

Cover Art by Reese Dante. Actually I think the guy on the cover looked way older then “20 years” old. He looks like a 30 yr old gym rat; I did like the gift and the dog aspect.

Sales Links:   All Romance eBooks       amazon            buy it here

Book Details:

eBook, 135 pages
Published November 14, 2014 by Eli Easton
ISBN: B00OWIQH5I
Edition Language: English

Get Into The Holiday Spirit with Silvia Violet’s Wild R Christmas (book tour and contest)

WRFBanner300x250

Silvia Violet is here with her latest release, the holiday story Wild R Christmas.  Check out the blurb and sexy excerpt below and don’t forget to enter the contest at the end of the post!

Book Name: Wild R Christmas
Author Name: Silvia Violet

Author Bio:

Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary, sci fi, and historical. She can be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinfully delicious treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading to her incorrigible offspring.

Author Contact:

Email: silviaviolet@gmail.com
Website: http://silviaviolet.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/silvia.violet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Silvia_Violet
For a list of Silvia’s available titles: http://silviaviolet.com/books

Publisher: Self-publishedWild R Farm Christmas 600x900
Cover Artist: Meredith Russell

Sales Links: Amazon  All Romance eBooks   Smashwords

Wild R Christmas Blurb:

Every year Cole Wilder hosts a big Christmas dinner for all the employees of Wild R Farm, and every year he takes on too many responsibilities then ends up exhausted and even more cranky than usual. This year, Cole’s husband, Jonah, is determined things will be different. Not only is he having their bathroom renovated to add a little luxury to their lives, he’s got plans to whisk Cole away for a Christmas vacation. But getting Cole to agree to let their ebullient friend, Tristan, organize Christmas at the farm is easier said that done.

Tristan promises to take perfect care of the farm, but as soon as Cole and Jonah leave, chaos ensues—couples fighting, construction disasters, kitchen woes. The only thing keeping confessed Christmas-o-phile, Tristan, merry is his boyfriend, Wes. He knows exactly what Tristan needs so they can pull the whole Wild R Farm crew together for the happiest Christmas they’ve ever had.
Categories: Contemporary, Western/Cowboy, M/M Romance, Romance, Paranormal

Excerpt:

“Wes! Come help me!” Tristan shouted.

Wes pushed himself up from the couch where he’d been doing research for his latest case. “Just a sec.”

When he stepped into the hall, he froze in disbelief. Tristan was stuck in the doorway with at least three shopping bags in each hand. “What did you do?”

Tristan looked at him like he was a simpleton. “I went shopping.”

Wes sighed as he held the door open so Tristan could push through. Then he followed his lover to the living room where Tristan dropped the bags in the middle of the floor and plopped down beside them.

“I thought you went for a run. What the hell were you doing shopping on the day after Thanksgiving?”

Tristan again stared at Wes like maybe he’d been replaced by an alien, one without much brainpower. “Buying Christmas decorations, of course.”

“Christmas decorations?” Wes did not want to consider the possibility that all those bags were full of Santas, reindeer, and glittery balls. Tristan’s balls were all Wes required this Christmas.

“Sure. I thought we could put them up this afternoon.” Wes’s horror grew as Tristan pulled out a red and green sweater. “Look what I got for Cole.” Tristan held up the offensive garment and Wes fought the urge to shrink backward. On the front was a wolf in a Santa suit surrounded by sheep wearing elf hats. It said “A Wolf in Santa’s Clothing.”

“That is… hideous.”

Tristan laughed. “I know. Isn’t it fantastic?”

“Tris, look… I don’t—”

“Check these out.” He held up lights shaped like reindeer. “They even blink.”

Wes knew arguing with Tristan was useless but he felt compelled to make a small effort anyway. “I usually just put a wreath on the door.”

Tristan gave him an innocent look, the little bastard. “Really?”

“Tristan.”

“Oh, it’s just a few little things,” Tristan said, clearly unconcerned about Wes’s frustration.

“Tell me you don’t have an album of cats meowing Christmas songs in there.”

Tristan put his hands on his hips, which looked ridiculous with him sitting on the floor surrounded by Christmas decor. “How insulting! Do you really not know I prefer the barking dogs? I find cats too… slinky.”

Wes groaned. “You’re going to be even more impossible than usual from now until Christmas, aren’t you?”

“I’m going to be festive.”

“A tree, stockings, maybe a few other small items. That’s festive enough. I can’t live in the middle of North Pole Central.”

Tristan rolled his eyes. “Stop being such a scrooge.”

“Tristan, I will not—”

Tristan’s sly, sexy grin derailed Wes’s train of thought. “I’m sure I can change your mind.”

“You’re always so damn sure you can get your way.” And all too often he was right.

Tristan crawled across the floor, and talk about slinky, he looked more jaguar than stallion. Wes’s cock took immediate notice. Wes dropped his legs open, knowing Tristan was playing him but not caring. No matter how annoyed he was, he wasn’t going to turn his man down. Tristan settled himself between Wes’s thighs and put his hand on the fastening of his jeans. He caught Wes’s gaze, green eyes twinkling. “Christmas is the season of giving, sweetheart. Just tell me what you’d like me to give.”

“You’re offering sex in exchange for turning the house into Tacky Christmas Wonderland?”

Tristan popped Wes’s snap. “I am. Tell me what you want.”

“Tristan.” Wes tried to sound ominous but probably just sounded horny as hell.

Tristan slid his zipper down, not easy in that position considering how hard Wes was. He licked his lips and looked into Wes’s eyes. “You want to tie me up? Paddle me? Tell me what it’s gonna cost.”

Wes’s breath caught as Tristan ran a finger over his cock, which was still trapped behind his boxer briefs. “This is insane.”

“I give something, you give something. What’s insane about that?” With a mischievous smile, Tristan opened Wes’s jeans wider and pulled his cock free.

WRFBadge
Tour Dates: December 15, 2014

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Molly Lolly, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Rebecca Cohen Writes, Cate Ashwood, Guilty Indulgence Book Club, Havan Fellows

My Fiction Nook, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Fallen Angel Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon, Love Bytes, Queer Town Abbey, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons,

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Hearts on Fire, Velvet Panic, Wake Up Your Wild Side

Cathy Brockman Romances, Multitasking Mommas, the Twins: Talon ps & Princess so, Michael Mandrake, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Angel Martinez, Kristy’s Brain Food, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 ARe gift card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided for additional contest details and for the entry form.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A MelanieM Review: Texas Fall (Texas #6) by R.J. Scott

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

Texas FAll coverLife with the Campbell-Hayes family is never dull.   Their enlarged family is settling in, Jack is busy with the preparations for the equine therapy school for children with special needs as well as their regular training and breeding programs.  Meanwhile Riley has agreed to take on a new assistant and both travel to Mexico on an exploratory mission.

Just when things seem to have settled down, threats of imminent danger appear on the horizon.  Hostile forces are at work on the other side of the border and the trial featuring Vaughn and Darren’s (as well as Robbie, Eli, Liam and Marcus) goes explosive.  With this extended family, anything can happen.  Once more events will challenge Jack and Riley’s love and family. Watch the characters you have come to love rise to the occasion yet again.

How I love this family and series by RJ Scott.  Texas Fall, the new Texas series story, is like a welcome visit with a beloved family member.  You know that whatever surprises they may have packed in their suitcases they brought along on the visit, you will be entertained, absorbed in their stories, and so happy to have them in close proximity once more.  Those warm feelings engendered by this couple have grown deeper since Riley and Jack added their special needs son, Max, who I adore and twins Connor and Lexie.  Somehow instead of stretching their story thin by adding more characters to this already extended family, it has only enriched it and made it more heartwarming, especially with the addition of Max.

In Texas Fall, RJ Scott is juggling a number of elements.  Max is getting older and a little more independent which brings its own challenges, Haley too is growing up and her teen years arrive with the normal amount of teenage woe.  All the various aspects of growth regarding the Campbell-Hayes brood is handled warmly, realistically and with a sort of wry familial humor that comes with having raised your own children.  And yes, these sections are among my favorites.  I love how each child’s personality comes into play from scene to scene.  They are as much individuals as their older counterparts, just as they should.

New characters that arrive in recent stories like Texas Christmas are back with continuations of past events and challenges to their current situations.  That would be Marcus and Liam as well as Robbie and Eli.  Plus Sean and Eden will figure largely into the drama and trauma that occurs within this story.  Does it ever feel overboard or crowded?  No more than a huge kitchen filled full of family during the holidays.  You know the feeling, lots of noise and commotion to go along with the chaos, confusion, love, and joy.

Yes, there are some very serious moments here.  Riley and his assistant run into heart-wrenching trouble on the other side of the border. And the aftermath is handled by Scott with the sensitivity and seriousness it needs.  How it all falls apart and then back together again is one of the anticipated joys and gratifying aspects of this ever enlarging Texas family.

If you are already in love with the Texas series, then you have probably already scarfed this story up.  If you are new to the Campbell-Hayes family, don’t start here.  Return to the beginning and The Heart of Texas and work your way through all the trials, tribulations and triumphs in store for these men and their families.  Heartwarming?  Absolutely.   It’s a perfect gift for the Holidays, whether it is for yourself or someone else.  I am happily recommending Texas Fall and the entire Texas series.  Happy Reading.

 

 

Cover artist Meredith Russell.  How adorable is that cover.  Love it.

Sales Links:  Love Lane Books   All Romance (ARe)      amazon       buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 160 pages
Published 2014 by Love Lane Books Limited
url http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/texas-fall-texas-6-cover-reveal-art-by.html
seriesTexas #6

Series in the order they were written and should be read:

The Heart of Texas (Texas, #1)
Texas Winter (Texas, #2)
Texas Heat (Texas, #3)
Texas Family (Texas, #4)
Texas Christmas (Texas, #5)
Texas Fall (Texas #6) fon

On Tour with Rain Carrington and “Turquoise” (book tour and contest)

TBanner300x250

Book Name: Turquoise
Author Name: Rain Carrington

Here’s a few questions to get to know author Rain Carrington:

1.  Favorite color?      Blue, cobalt blue to be exact

2.  Favorite meal?      Green chili and tortillas

3.  Favorite non-alcoholic drink?   Iced tea, I drink it all the time!

Author Bio:

Rain Carrington started writing when she was just a teenager in Trinidad, Colorado but didn’t start writing M/M romance until much later. Through the years many of her gay male friends told stories of heartache and the struggle to find “the one” so she told them stories, fantasies all about them and their future cowboy, fireman, biker or policeman. When she found a writing site that encouraged her to write them down she started what was an adventure like she never had before.

Her first story, Cabin Fever, about a young man searching for love and finding it wrapped in a member of a mafia family gained her readers who cheered for more. She knew then that she had found her place in the world. To make stories of love and kink that not only her readers but she could get lost in as well.

Rain now lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado but has traveled most of the US. Her last road trip to San Francisco gave her characters still coming out…no pun intended…in her newer stories. Rain has severe scoliosis which makes it hard for her to do all the things she used to love but it did give her the time to write that she never had before. She fights for lgbt rights from her home as best she can now and keeps in close contact with her friends that fight on two good legs to point them where they should go. She is a fervent believer that one door never closes without another opening so there are no limits she can’t get past.

Of all the people in the world no one has encouraged and supported her like her friends, many of them writers themselves, and her family. There is never a dull moment in her home where laughter is in the air 24/7 and everyone knows to avoid the computer screen when she sits in front of it. They never know what kind of beautiful man love they may see. Rain calls it research, they call it, “there she goes again!”

Author Contact:

Amazon
Facebook
Google+
@RainCarrington – Twitter
Goodreads

Publisher: Self-publishedTURFINAL
Cover Artist: Rain Carrington
Sales Links:   amazon

Blurb:

In the mountains of New Mexico lives a group of boys who are inseparable. That is until they grow up and one of them leaves the rez to fulfill his dream.

One of the boys misses him more than the others. A love that started as children grew with him and when Angel Quintana left New Mexico, Garcia Blacksnake had to occupy his time until the love of his life returned. Angel came back when tragedy struck, with secrets he does not want this old friends to know. Secrets about the life he lived as his dreams came true, turning to nightmares he could not run away from.

Can childhood friends help save him from a sadistic man who holds Angel’s dream in his hand? Can Garcia’s love help him to trust himself and others again?

Turquoise Excerpt (3)

The garden from the outside was more spectacular that he’d seen from the windows. There were stone benches like they were in a park, and that is what he felt like. Like he was in a park. There were beds with dormant roses everywhere, hedges sculpted into fine curves, statuary and three gazebos. The house was imposing, but the garden reached across the back, on what must have been a couple of acres. He saw a tennis court in the far side, and he looked at this, curiously.

“Do you like tennis? It’s a little cold, but I have a racquetball court inside.”

This man, he was too much. This was what people lived like, every day. He’d been lucky back on the rez. Once Raf came to live with them, he’d fixed up their house until it was nice, comfortable, but this was so far beyond anything he’d imagined. He really was a child to think people only lived like this in the movies. “I don’t play. Either game. In fact, I’m not the biggest fan of games.”

Guy stopped him with a gentle touch to his arm, obviously getting the double meaning of Angel’s words. “But, Angel, life is full of games. Life is a game. The goal is to win. Be a winner, Angel. I can make you a winner.”

Words: 101,697

tur7

Tour Dates/Stops

1-Dec

Rainbow Gold Reviews

Love Bytes

2-Dec

Charley Descoteaux

Jade Crystal

3-Dec

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

MM Good Book Reviews

4-Dec

Amanda C. Stone

Up All Night, Read All Day

5-Dec

Bayou Book Junkie

Emotion in Motion

8-Dec

My Fiction Nook

Cate Ashwood

9-Dec

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

LeAnn’s Book Reviews

Inked Rainbow Reads

10-Dec

BFD Book Blog

Velvet Panic

11-Dec

Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons

Cathy Brockman Romances

12-Dec

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Molly Lolly 

 
TBadgeContest and Prizes:
  • Rafflecopter Prizes:
    Rain Carrington is offering up:
    5 ebooks of Road Runner Enchantment Book 1
    5 ebooks of Turquoise Enchantment book 2

Anne Tenino – one ebook copy of Billionaire With Benefits

Edward Kendrick one ebook -L’histoire de François – Vampire – Immortal Angst – Book One

Jess Buffett – one ebook of Nick’s Christmas Wish

AJ Llewellyn – one ebook reader’s choice of my currently available titles…pdf

Douglas Black donate one ebook of Bucket List

Jamie Lynn Miller – one ebook of Burnin’ For You

Parker Williams – one ebook copy of ‘Lost Time’

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the Spotlight: RJ Scott’s Angel in a Book Shop (book tour and contest)

banner

Angel In a Book Shop by RJ Scott
What happens when a broken man has to trust in the impossible?

Chapter One, an antique book shop is the last tangible thing Josh and his mom have left of his dad. Nestled in a quiet square a few steps from London’s St Pauls Cathedral, it is boarded up with whitewashed windows and no new stock. The place is a sad reminder of loss and it has to go, but destroying a business that has been in his family for generations is not a role Josh is looking forward to.

Michael is the owner of Arts Desire, the shop next door. With his rainbow pride mugs and his sunny positive outlook he is the complete opposite to what Joshua thinks he needs in his life.

But, when Josh and Michael become friends, Josh learns that finding true love starts with making big decisions, and that everyone deserves their own Christmas miracle sometimes.angel 400x600

 Buy Links
Angel in a Book Shop will be available at Love Lane Books, Amazon and AllRomance on 12 December, with other third parties shortly thereafter
Excerpt from Chapter Two

I look up at the noise and try to make some sense of it. The door is half-hidden behind a cabinet displaying hand-carved knights and queens and open chessboards inlaid with gold leaf. The scratching…no, more a sighing…is a familiar sound once I settle into hearing it properly.

He’s here.

I straighten from my position hunched over a small watercolour I’m attempting to restore. I recall when this image was painted. One of my charges was a talented young lady whose skill for capturing beauty was lost when she gave everything up to become a wife.

Things have moved on, changed to where I don’t recognise the London of today. Still, I know what the sigh means.
* * * * *

Josh reread the list and mentally checked off each thing in his head with an accompanying tap of his pencil. “Inventory” was first on the list. Beneath that single word he wrote “Expert?”. Who knew how much all this stuff was worth? There were books in here that he was sure would be happy in a bargain bin at a supermarket, others that looked valuable. He’d need to get someone in who knew antique books just in case there was enough money in the place to give Mum a settled retirement.

The door opened and he glanced up, blinking into the light spilling in from outside.

“We’re not open,” he said, attempting to focus on whoever had moved into the space. Some tourist seeing lights and thinking that the Closed sign actually meant “come on in and browse”.

“Hi,” a voice said. The owner of the voice stepped forward into the gloom of the interior, pulling the door shut behind him, tripping over the still heaped-up post, and righting himself with a wry look at the pile.

Josh noticed two things as he blurted an apology for the mess on the floor. The man was big, tall and broad, and he had a takeaway coffee in each hand. Josh hoped to hell one of those was for him.

Then he caught himself wishing for things that weren’t going to happen and stopped with a shake of his head.

“I’m sorry, but we’re closed,” he repeated.

The man moved closer and held out a coffee. “I know. I’m Michael. I have the shop next door, saw you go in, thought you’d like coffee.”

As he drew closer Josh had a proper look at the man who proclaimed himself neighbour. Tall—well, Josh had that much from the way he’d filled the doorway. Michael’s hair was near ebony black and would have looked stupid on someone as pale as Josh. On this man, with his warmer skin tones and dark eyes, it looked just this side of dangerous to Josh’s libido. Josh stood immediately, took the cup with his left hand, and extended his right.

“Josh Blakeman,” he introduced himself.

Michael shook Josh’s hand warmly. “I was so sorry to hear about your loss,” he said. The familiar words meant nothing. Josh had heard them a million times, repeated by everyone from his work colleagues to the barman at the King’s Head. Everyone felt it was what needed to be said. Josh had yet to work out, even after eleven months, exactly what to say in return. Instead he sat back down on the stool and took off the lid of the coffee cup.

“You knew my dad?” Josh asked. He expected the usual pleasantries, but there were none from this man who filled the empty shop with his quiet presence. Josh coughed to cover the odd silence, suddenly worried as to why this man was still standing here with his face carefully blank of emotion. What did he want? He had cheekbones to die for, and…wait…hello dimples.

A spur of want poked insistently at Josh’s subconscious. It had been a long time since he had felt anything for another man. He’d found out his ex had been screwing him over way before Josh had ended up in the hospital, and that had been a few months back now.

Michael didn’t seem to be uncomfortable with the silence. He pulled out a selection of sugar packets and a stirrer from a pocket. “Just in case,” he said as he placed everything on the already muddled desk. “I gave you coffee, but this one is tea if you’d prefer that.”

“No, coffee is fine.” Coffee was way past fine. The first sip was heaven even as it scalded the roof of his mouth. He savoured the taste of the second sip as he rolled the liquid on his tongue to cool it. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Michael went silent again and seemed intent on checking the shop space out as thoroughly as Josh had done just now. He didn’t touch anything, nor did he move, but his gaze fell on the floor and the tall bookshelves and the door separating this shop from what Josh presumed was his. He looked serious, thoughtful, and there was sadness there too.

“So, you knew my dad?” Josh asked again.

This time Michael shook his head, his attention pulled back to Josh at the question. “Not really, though I took the shop next door a little while ago,” he admitted. “But who knows anyone in London, with everyone always so busy rushing this way and that?” The dusty lightbulb cast a luminous shimmer about the stranger, and the way he stared at Josh was a little disconcerting, intense and thoughtful.

Josh didn’t have time to think on the odd use of the words or the way they were spoken in such a formal manner. He was just about to comment that he didn’t remember his dad rushing anywhere when Michael turned on his heel and left the shop with a wave and a goodbye. The silence after he’d gone made Josh struggle to believe that anyone had actually been in the shop with him. Only the rising scent of his caffeine fix told him that he hadn’t dreamed the whole thing.

 banner
Author Bio

RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.

With over sixty titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

Contact the author at:

Contest:
Win a $15 gift card and free e-books, must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link below for the entry form and for additional contest details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OR

A MelanieM Review: Christmas in His Heart by Havan Fellows and, Lee Brazil

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

beacon hill at night  Xander Leahman wasn’t happy with the corporate life so when his best friend called and asked his help to find a manager for her craft store, he jumped at the chance for a change in scenery and time with his bestie.  But Xander wasn’t prepared for the attraction he felt when he saw the grumpy but gorgeous owner of the restaurant next door to Craft Time.  On impulse, Xander found himself agreeing to take the job and relocate on the chance that his heart knew what it was doing.

For Dermot Alasdair the twinkling lights and jolly holiday decorations bring nothing but pain.  While others are celebrating and enjoying the company of friends, family, and lovers, Dermot remains alone, isolated by secret and memories he has never divulged to a single soul.  By now, Dermot has almost convinced himself that all he needs is his restaurant and solitude to be content, if not happy. Then the arrival of Xander Leahman at the neighboring craft store throws his carefully laid out life into chaos.

Xander’s a happy, exuberant person who loves Christmas and can’t understand why the man he is so attracted to lacks the Christmas spirit.  Now more than ever Xander is determined that he will find a way to open Dermot’s heart to Christmas and to a forever love….with Xander, of course!

The holidays are almost upon us and what better way to bring Christmas cheer into home and heart than with holiday stories of celebration and romance.  Havan Fellows and Lee Brazil collaborated in this lively holiday tale of a man whose past robbed him of more than just the Christmas spirit and the fellow who’s determined to bring it back, along with a major dose of romance and love.

The authors certainly relay the historic charm and community of Parkersburg, the town where the story  takes place.  We are plopped into the “grinch like” mind set of one Dermot Alasdair making his way through the cobble streets of town to his restaurant.  Immediately its clear that the holidays and the Christmas decorations are his personal Kryptonite.  And when he is not mentally complaining about the inconvenience of bell ringers and such, he is focused on the financial health of his restaurant, always a precarious thing in the food business.  The last thing Dermot expects is the intrusion into his life of Xander Leahman, a change will he only reluctantly welcome.

Fellows and Brazil make it plain that Dermot is a character that has more pain in his heart than anyone in his situation should, and that, clearly, there are dark reasons behind his bah humbug behavior.  He is buttoned up, clinched in, and as tight as they come to pull in all the old chestnuts, all of which brings out our sympathy and compassion for this sad man.

Xander is more Santa’s helper than corporate desk jockey.  His typical ebullient frame of mind is perfect for Craft Time and his presence is just what his best friend needs.  Xander’s arrival touches off a set of small emotional explosions in all around him, but mostly in Dermot and surprisingly in Xander himself.

I thought the story moved along smartly, in fact, it’s narrative pace was almost too fast.  Xander fell a little too hard too quickly as did Dermot.  And the hot relationship, or hot and cold relationship that springs up could have done with some simmering time instead of heating up to a boil from the start.  But that aside, their relationship is hot, sexy, and sometimes quite funny, which is needed to offset the pain and poignancy to come.

I throughly enjoyed Christmas In His Heart by Lee Brazil and Havan Fellows.  It’s a wonderful way to crank up that holiday cheer!  So deck the halls, light up the Kindles, and put some music on.  Love is in the air and Christmas is winding its way into our hearts!  Put Christmas In His Heart on your holiday reading list today!

 Cover Artist:  Laura Harner.  Love the cover, filled me with holiday cheer!

Sales Links:    All Romance (ARe)       amazon        buy it here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 119 pages
Published December 4th 2014 by Lime Time Press
ASINB00QEB3GGY
edition languageEnglish

For Your Holiday Reading Enjoyment…Lee Brazil’s and Havan Fellows’ Christmas In His Heart (book tour and contest)

CIHH600x600Banner

Book Name: Christmas In His Heart
Release Date: December 4th, 2014
Author Name: Lee Brazil & Havan Fellows

Two favorite authors are here with their latest story, Christmas In His Heart.  Did I have  some questions for them both?  Why, yes I did and here is my holiday conversation with Lee Brazil and Havan Fellows:

A holiday story should be like opening a Christmas or Chanukah present. What elements about your story had you both smiling with delight?

Lee: I just loved all the bright, cheerful banter between the leads. I may never see another sausage without chuckling. 

Havan: Oh my god they were a hot fun mess when those two started talking. lmao Plus I loved the strong secondary characters and how they all genuinely cared.

Favorite holiday story for each of you?

Oh… White Christmas is one, but also… I just love It’s A Wonderful Life. The story of how one person’s life affects so many others, of how one missing soul can change the world really speaks to me. We’re taught these days that life is about everyone, that its society and the greater good that we ought to be concerned with. Sometimes we forget how valuable the individual is. It’s A Wonderful Life proves the value of the individual. 

The Polar Express has always been a favorite in my family, but believe it or not I’ve never watched the movie. I guess some books I just can’t bring myself to watch the movie version no matter how good people claim they are.

I love the Holiday Movies, from Hallmark to It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown.  What movies or specials do you look forward to if any?

Um… Clearly I misinterpreted the previous question. Sorry about that. My favorite Christmas cartoon was the one with the burgermeister. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. I was terrified of the Winter Warlock as a child, but the magic of the season just came alive for me.

I love the “claymation duo” as my family calls it: Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, oh and Frosty the Snowman is also enjoyed. But our favorite holiday movie is Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. We watch it every year on Christmas Eve, never fails.

You both have been so busy with the Pulp Friction 2014 outstanding series, why no holiday stories involving those couples?  Or is there?

Well, that would be telling! The stories are sequential, timeline-wise. The finale takes place in December, so I wouldn’t be surprised if some seasonal elements crept into the finale. 

*zips lips…sits on hands*

Do you both have any holiday traditions passed down from generation to generation?  And have they ever made it into a story?

My family has a lot of traditions, and many of them I have foisted upon my SO. Stockings hung on Christmas Eve, presents opened Christmas morning, turkey dinner with stuffing and cranberries…

When my siblings and I grew up and had our own families we developed new traditions…but the bottom line is that all extensions of the family get together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is dedicated to spending it with our individual broods. That way we get the best of both worlds, because no matter how much I love my whole family, I cherish those Christmas mornings with my kiddos.

What is the hardest thing about writing with a partner?

Waiting. The hardest part was waiting. Havan works an EDJ, and I wrote while she was working, so many times I’d have to wait for her feedback, and it was just finger itching.

*hugs* Lee never had to worry about my feedback – you’ve read his writing, you know how good he is at it. 🙂 But yeah…my EDJ was especially evil to me. We’d be chatting back and forth while I was at work and I’d get this brilliant amazing idea (well aren’t all my ideas brilliant and amazing? lol) but I’d be stuck at my desk for another two hours before I could run home and put it to paper and see if Lee liked it as well…and I suffer from youngest child syndrome, you know what I mean? The Now-now-now syndrome…I wanted to write the scene now now now so Lee could read it now now now. Not to be confused with the youngest child syndrome Mine-mine-mine which is a totally different thing…lmao

What is the easiest thing about writing with a partner?

Writing with Havan made writing easier. Her energy and creativity were just like a spark for me. The story flowed with an ease I seldom see.

That goes both ways I would say. He’d knock the WIP (work in process) over to me and I’d be so stoked to get my wordage in and kick it back to him…and within seconds (or it felt like seconds – do not insert ex-boyfriend joke here…lmao) he’d have it back to me. It was like we fed on each other’s excitement about this story and our guys. It was more addicting than any drug…um…not that I’d know about those types of things…can you see my halo from there?

What message or overall feeling would you like readers to take away from Christmas In His Heart?

There’s a magic to the holiday season, people are the best they can be, kindness flows, and love… well it just makes everything alright.

All of the above…and a smile can do wonders in any situation. I do like smiling…I count it toward my daily exercise goal. 🙂 

What’s next for you both?

Pulp Friction 2014 Finale, and then… Pulp Friction 2015. Are you ready for New Orleans?

Let the beads start flying! *big huge grins*

Thank you Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having us…you know this is one of our fave places to hang out!

My thanks to you both!  Now back to our authors and story…

***************************

Author Bio:

LEE BRAZIL:

Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true.

Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words.

   Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit?

Someone hands you a book, and then you turn the page and see… There you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are…beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.

I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now. It’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.

If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer…or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and I’ve come to realize that’s the best thing in the world to be, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more.

If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college…teaching…or writing.

HAVAN FELLOWS:

I annoy, love, respect, scare, seduce, hurt, anger, infatuate, frustrate, flatter, envy, amuse and tolerate everyone. I just do it better in writing thanks to a little thing called…edits.

Okay no, seriously…I’m a simpleminded person who enjoys the escape from real life through a book. I write with the group Story Orgy and hope to continue doing so for a long time. I also am privileged to be with the Pulp Friction writers, creating intermingling books in a world all our own. And just like every other red-blooded human—I love hearing from people. So feel free to drop me a line—whether it’s a comment on my blog, an email, a tweet, or you track me down on FaceBook or Google +…it’s easy to catch someone who wants to be caught.

Authors Contacts:

Publisher: Lime Time Press
Cover Artist: Laura Harner

Sales Links:  amazon     All Romance (ARe)

Blurb:beacon hill at night  

Christmastime brings joy to hearts everywhere. Between snow angels, festive clothing, holiday decorations, and of course, all the beautiful lights, it’s hard not to partake in the season.

Unless you no longer have Christmas in your heart.

Dermot Alasdair has never shared the horrific memories that keep him from celebrating the happiest time of the year, nor does he ever plan to. He’s fine being alone and shut off from everyone; he has his restaurant and that’s all he needs. He believes that, too…until the craft store next door from his eatery hires a perpetually smiling annoyance. Really, it isn’t normal for someone to be that happy all the time.

Xander Leahman didn’t know what he was getting into when he accepted an invitation to visit his best friend and help her interview people for the newly created position of manager at Craft Time. When a surly man bumps into him and then walks away with an enticing sway to his hips, Xander decides the position—and Dermot—are perfect for him. Now all he can think of is finding ways to get Dermot out of his clothes. Well that, and how to open this grinch’s heart to the Christmas season and, hopefully, love.
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Romance, Holiday

Excerpt:

“Hey! Good morning!”

The cheerful greeting broke through his concentration, and Dermot looked up to see the new manager of the Craft Time craft store sweeping the sidewalk in front of the shop. “Hey,” he muttered sourly. Xander Leahman made his head ache. Just one glance and he wanted to snap at the man to comb his hair, put on a heavier jacket, and for Christ sakes why wasn’t he wearing gloves outside in this weather?

Dermot wasn’t going to stop. He had no plans stop and talk to the smiling man. Xander bubbled more than a bottle of shaken soda water. Dermot didn’t have time for his chatter, and he didn’t have time for the strange, compelling not-quite-nausea he seemed prone to in Xander’s company.

Maybe he was allergic to the man’s cologne, or deodorant, or shampoo. Dermot leaned forward and sniffed surreptitiously, but he couldn’t smell anything other than cinnamon and vanilla. An overwhelming urge to bake overcame him, and he jerked himself upright.

He was an executive chef, not a pastry chef. He didn’t bake, and especially not something as…plebeian as oatmeal raisin cookies, which was what Xander smelled like.

“Excuse me.” He deliberately stepped around Xander, who put out a hand and caught his arm.

“I saw you coming down the street.” Xander set the broom aside and picked up a steaming mug from the windowsill. “It’s not as good as Prudence’s coffee, but I made it fresh this morning.”

Blinking in astonishment, Dermot stared from the mug to the hand on his arm. He could really… “Thanks.” He accepted the mug and inhaled the rich aroma of good coffee, scented with cinnamon and…yeah, vanilla. And he’d thought it was Xander who smelled so good? He didn’t know whether to be relieved or embarrassed. “I needed this. That walk feels longer every day that the temperature drops.” The first sip exploded on his tongue with soothing heat and delicious flavor and he bit back a moan of appreciation.

Words: 35,562

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

8-Dec

Parker Williams

MM Good Book Reviews

EE Montgomery

9-Dec

Multitasking Mommas

Carly’s Book Reviews

LeAnn’s Book Reviews

Amanda C. Stone

10-Dec

Queer Town Abbey

BFD Book Blog

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Cathy Brockman Romances

Bayou Book Junkie

11-Dec

My Fiction Nook

Molly Lolly

Hearts on Fire


12-Dec

Inked Rainbow Reads

Fallen Angel Reviews

Tara Lain

13-Dec

Love Bytes

Iyana Jenna

MM Good Book Reviews

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 ARe Gift Card. 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.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway