Category: STRWC

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

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

Author Bio:

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

Author Contact:

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

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

Publisher: Self-publishedGinRickey2_Cocktails7_xl
Cover Artist: Renee George

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

Sales Links: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gin Rickey 2 Blurb:

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

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

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

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

cocktails

Gin Rickey 2 Excerpt:

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

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

“Yes,” Alex whispered. “Yes.”

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

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

“Is that a no?”

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

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

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

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

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

Pages: 55 pages

GRBadgeTour Dates: November 14th, 2014

Tour Stops: 

Parker Williams

Amanda C. Stone

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

BFD Book Blog

Molly Lolly

Inked Rainbow Reads

My Fiction Nook

Wake Up Your Wild Side

The Hat Party

Love Bytes

Fallen Angel Reviews

MM Good Book Reviews

Multitasking Mommas

Tara Lain

Michael Mandrake

It’s Raining Men

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

Kimi-Chan

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card.  Must be 18 years or older to enter. Use the link provided to enter the contest and for all additional contest details.
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Fall Into Love with Susan MacNicol’s Love You Senseless (Men of London: Book 1) Tour and Contest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q.  What’s next for Susan Mac Nicol?

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

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

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

Author Bio:

Sue MacNichol Book

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

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

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

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

.

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

Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Cover Artist: Boroughs Publishing Group

  Love You Senseless Blurb:

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

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

A TASTE OF FOREVER

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

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

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

 Love You Senseless Excerpt:

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

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

Words: 85,000

BadgeTour Dates and Stops:

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

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

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

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sales Links:  All Romance eBooks     amazon    Terra Firma

Book Details:

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

 

 

About Pulp Friction 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Side Stories or Interludes:

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

Head to New Zealand with Meredith Shayne’s Cutting Out! (book tour and contest)

Cutting Out Tour Badge1

 

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Love Hot Men, Heartache, and HEA? Cutting Out by Meredith Shayne has it all and then some.  One of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Must Reads, this book has heart, substance, and a captivating setting as well.  But a country like New Zealand is not without its dangers, so Meredith Shayne is here today on tour to talk about “Living with Earthquakes”, a major component in Cutting Out.  We have an excerpt, and a contest you won’t want to miss out on!

Cutting Out by Meredith Shayne

 

Christchurch NZ – Living with Earthquakes

There have been several major earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand in the last 4 years, but the first two, a magnitude 7.1 quake that hit at 4.35am on Saturday, September 4th 2010, and a magnitude 6.3 quake that hit at 12.51pm on February 22nd 2011, were the most shocking. The first one because it was the first, and the second one because it was absolutely devastating to the city and its people.Blog Stop - Scattered Thoughts - Image 1

When you know that Christchurch was built on reclaimed swamp lands, you realise that no earthquake in the area is going to be a good thing, but I don’t think anyone thought that the impact would be quite so big. We don’t dwell on those kinds of things, do we? If we did, we’d never leave the house. On that day in February 2011, a lot of people who left their houses that morning never came home; 185 people were killed, and a lot of the city centre was destroyed, including the iconic Christchurch Cathedral. Here is a video of the immediate aftermath, and some visuals of what parts of the city are still like today (warning: video contains some disturbing images):

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alC7JpUuDMI

For those of us who lived in other NZ cities, it was a stressful time, texting loved ones and waiting, waiting, waiting to hear from them via a phone network that was groaning under the weight of everyone trying to use it. That was nothing to what people in Christchurch were going through, of course; in the news over the following couple of days were a pair of siblings, a brother and sister, who sat vigil outside one of the collapsed buildings in the CBD, the building where their mother worked, waiting for news of her. They sat there for days, but it wasn’t good news. Their mum hadn’t survived.

But there were other stories on the news too. The university students, nicknamed the “student army”, who went round to people’s houses with shovels and wheelbarrows to dig the mud and muck that was sometimes feet deep out of people’s yards, the people who went from door to door checking that people who lived alone were all right, the millions of dollars that got donated. The Kiwi sense of humour that never goes away for long started to emerge, with competitions to see who could build the best backyard toilet (the “long drop”, essentially a hole in the ground with a seat over it):

Website Link:  http://www.showusyourlongdrop.co.nz/

Blog Stop - Scattered Thoughts - Image 2It’s been almost 4 years, and the city still has a long way to go. But there’s resilience too; I was there in April of this year, and I was struck by the effort that had gone in to making things more cheerful: the barriers keeping people away from derelict buildings decorated with mosaic flowers, the bright patterns on the walls surrounding the mangled cathedral, and the new shopping mall made entirely of brightly coloured shipping containers that’ll stand up to any quake. The city is not there yet, but it’ll get there.

 

 

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Bottom Drawer Publications is proud to present Cutting Out by Meredith Shayne, a contemporary mm romance based in New Zealand.

Book Details: NovelCutting Out cover
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance
Release Date: October 11, 2014

Cutting Out Blurb

A twenty-year veteran of the shearing shed, Aussie Shane Cooper loves his job, and the home he’s made for himself in New Zealand. If he’s a little lonely, he’s got good mates to keep his spirits up. When a hot, cocky young shearer named Lachlan Moore catches his eye at a competition, he’s content to look but not touch, knowing the young man is out of his league.
Lachie wouldn’t mind a piece of Shane, but the gorgeous gun shearer from Australia is soon forgotten when the Christchurch earthquake hits, and tragedy strikes Lachie’s family. Lachie deals with it the best he can, cutting himself off from all he knows. A year later and he’s back in the shearing shed, out of practice and lacking confidence. That Shane’s there to watch him flounder doesn’t help his nerves.

As Lachlan struggles to re-acclimatise, Shane can’t resist giving him a hand to get back on his feet. As they move from friends to something more, Shane finds himself wanting to know everything he can about Lachie. But Lachie’s got secrets he desperately wants to keep, and when things come to a head, those secrets might just mean the end of them before they’ve truly begun.

Buy Links:  Bottom Drawer Publications  amazon    iTunes    All Romance (ARe)

Barnes & Noble    Book Stand    Kobo        Smashwords

The e-book is available for sale for $5.99 via the BDP Digital Shop
and other online booksellers.

Release & Blog Tour Giveaway:  Paperback copy of Cutting Out, $10 BDP voucher and 3 x Cutting Out e-books!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the link provided for the entry form and for additional contest details.
a Rafflecopter giveaway    or enter at    FB Giveaway   (same contest multiple ways to win)

Cutting Out coverFind Cutting Out on:  Goodreads,  on Bookalikes, and at  it’s Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review, where it is a highly recommended read!

For more information:

  • Visit Bottom Drawer Publications ( www.bottomdrawerpublications.net) or contact them at:
  • Email:  mailto:bottomdrawerpub@gmail.com or  info@bottomdrawerpublications.net

 

About the Author  Meredith Shayne

A scientist in a past life, these days Meredith Shayne mainly uses her scientific training to poke holes in television pseudoscience. Originally from Australia, she moved to New Zealand to start a new life a few years ago and hasn’t regretted it for one minute, even if she frequently wishes that the New Zealand weather was a little better; if she’s forced, she’ll admit that the refreshing lack of animals that can kill you in New Zealand makes up for a little rain.

Meredith travels a lot, so much so that she has developed a shameful love of airplane food and knows her passport number by heart. When she is at home, she enjoys baking, horrible music from the 1980s, reality television, and gloating any time Australia thrashes the living daylights out of New Zealand on the sporting field.

  • Find Meredith at her website:  ../../../../Marketing-Promotion/Books/I’m Your Man/www.meredithshayne.com”

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A MelanieM Review: Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #18) by Lee Brazil

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

 You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs… 

Cold Day In Hell coverCannon Malloy has been through hell and back, from the horrific events in Atlanta to the loss of his career as a surgeon in that aftermath.  But moving to Arizona has changed him.  Mountain Shadows campground has given Cannon not only a new family of friends, but a man he has come to love like no other, Finn Lorensson.   But recently Finn has been acting remote and secretive.  Just when Cannon is ready for the final commitment for them both.

Finn Lorensson is in trouble.  His big heart and concern for Cannon allowed him to make some poor judgements that have put himself and his relationship in danger.  But what is he to do?  All he wants is a future with Cannon but now that seems to be in jeopardy.  One thing Finn realizes is that it will be a cold day in hell when he lets the man he loves walk away.  Now if only he had a solution for their problems…

Here we are, Cold Day in Hell – Story 5 (or 18 depending upon how you are counting), and the stakes have never been higher for  both of  our remarkable main characters.  It has taken two series, with more heartache and pain than any character should go through,  to get Cannon Malloy to this point in his life.  Lee Brazil has taken us on a journey that saw the reader disliking Cannon because of his treatment of Chance (PF2013) of Chance’s Are, then slowly bring about this character’s evolution. Cannon has grown from  a self centered story irritant to a complex man finally coming out of the closet and into his personality.  It has been a rough and tumble sort of metamorphosis that involved a psychotic killer, a Dom, a lot of regret and finally a move to Flagstaff, AZ.   And every painful step forward that this complex, intelligent man has taken moved the reader closer to him as an individual and a part of the Cannon/Finn coupledom,

If you had told me I would end up loving Cannon Mallow after my initial impressions, well, let’s just say my disbelief would have been huge! But Lee Brazil has skillfully made this progression of feelings towards Cannon resolve itself into one of compassion for and understanding of  a man in transition at a later point in his life.  We now “get” Cannon, his issues and the road he had to travel to become the man that Finn Lorensson loves today.  And that was partially made possible by the marvelous character of Finn Lorensson himself.  What a noble (overly so), self sacrificing (yes too much), hugely brilliant Viking of a man!  Brazil has constructed a man you want to jump because of his brain and body, and then smack upside the head because of his actions.  Is  Finn believable?  Absolutely, which makes it both hilariouis and frustrating when the actions run counter to those the readers want to happen.  And sometimes that behavior turns the  story dark and scary.

Pulling the pieces of  their various pasts back into the picture and their relationship is a large element of this story.  Cannon’s children, Finn’s past actions…it all needs to come out and coalesce  for Cannon and Finn to have a future together.  How Lee Brazil does that is both the charm and the terror of this story.  What a dichotomy!  Cannon’s grown children need to see the man their father has become and the life he has made for himself in Arizona.  Finn needs to resolve the mounting problems  he created, out of the best intentions of course, that now threaten everything he loves and has worked for.  Family and threat to family, loving relationships balanced by those that were never meant to happen. And while we (and our heartstrings) are zigging and zagging along the many plot twists Brazil has in store for us, the siren song of Cannon and Finn’s love has never been stronger.  It is that ocean swell that carries us and the men along to that final story and, hopefully, their HEA.

Yes, one more group story to go.  Just one.  One to tie up all the loose ends (and there are many).  Bring all the lovers, their famlies together for a resolution we can cheer for because we have so much invested in these characters and their stories.   So look forward to December and in the meantime, if you are already along on this journey, get prepared by reading Cold Day in Hell by Lee Brazil.  It’s a heartgrabber, just like the men it revolves around.  If you are new to the series,  back, back, I say!  Go to the beginning and start there with this series and all the rest.  Don’t miss out on a story, not one.

Cold Day in Hell takes it’s place among the top stories/series of the year for Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.  See you back here in December for the finale!   Happy Reading.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  These covers are wonderful.  The artist does a great job branding the series with the logo and the model works for the character.

Sales Links:    All Romance eBooks    amazon   Cold Day in Hell

Book Details:

ebook, 51 pages
Published October 1st 2014 by Lime Time Press (first published September 30th 2014)
ISBN13LBRZL0201441
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2014 #18, In From

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Side Stories or Interludes:

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

A MelanieM Review: The Best Corpse for the Job by Charlie Cochrane

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Best Corpse for the Job cover

Tea and sympathy have never been so deadly.

The private school of Lindenshaw St Crispin’ has long lost the luster it once had.  Once a sought after place of high education, it has now sild slowly into the ranks of lesser schools and its dwindling enrollment reflects that.  But the governors want a return to its glorious days and to do that they need to hire a new Head Master or Head Teacher as the title is now called.  Among those chosen for the selection panel is schoolteacher Adam Matthews.  All Adam wants is to chose the best person for the children and go home to his quiet life at the end of the day.  But when one of the applicants is found strangled in the school, everyone looks to be a suspect, even Adam himself.

Inspector Robin Bright isn’t thrilled to be back at St. Crispin’s. the scene of the crime and his old alma mater.  The school and its grounds,  as well some of the old staff that still remember him, bring back old painful memories Robin would rather stay forgotten.  The one bright spot is one that he shouldn’t be thinking about? That would be the handsome and kind schoolteacher, Adam Matthews.

 

All the secrets of Lindenshaw St. Crispin’s start to surface as another body is discovered.  As the stakes get higher and the murderer becomes more desperate, Adam and Robin have to decide who they can trust and rely on, even deciding if that includes each other.  The complications rise up and the race is on to find the killer before Adam and even Robin himself are targeted.

If you look up the definition of Cosy Mystery in the dictionary, it includes this statement ”

“Cozies are mystery novels typically set in English country houses, villages, or other benign environments. Cozies feature very little violence, aside for the murder, and few gory details. The term arose from the relatively genteel settings, the common use of amateur sleuths as protagonists, and the fact that all loose ends are tied up and the villain caught and punished by the novel’s conclusion.”

To that I will add, the Cozy Mystery is a popular trope found in all forms of media, from Agatha Christie, the grande dame of Cozies to Murder, She Wrote.  It has a timeless appeal with its small town settings and the intimacy found between all the various townspeople… victims, murderers, suspects alike.  It lacks the brutality and rawness of other mysteries, concerning itself with the amateur sleuth and their ability to reason.  Small wonder that Charlie Cochrane, that marvelous author of stories composed of civilities, history, and relationships has written a cozy to delight us all.

The Best Corpse for the Job brings us into the small English village of Stanebridge and a school in decline.  Lindenshaw St. Crispin’s is a school mired in its past.  And its teachers, well, most of them, realize that to survive it needs a new Headteacher (formerly known as Headmaster) and direction to pull it into the present.  A panel is chosen to decide who is the best candidate for the job and then hire that person.  So deceptively simple a decision and yet so fraught full of politics, personality clashes, and ambition that you know it will go wrong right from the start.  And it does, deliciously so.

Cochrane brings us into the civilized halls and playing  fields of this most austere establishment, letting us feel our way through the aged paneled hallways, noting the deep history of the school while subtly highlighting the wear, tear, and worn nature that its lowered status has caused.  Through Cochrane’s descriptions one doesn’t have to had stepped foot in such a school to feel the atmosphere of stress, age, and years of children of all ages trooping in and out have wrought upon St. Crispin’s.  It’s all marvelously there, a perfect setting for murder most foul.

Adam Matthews, a kind and caring teacher who prefers to keep his homosexuality quiet from some of the more bigoted members of the staff, is such an attractive main character.   His geniality, his concern for his students and the future of the school make him immediately likable.  We get his concerns and we adore the way in which he appreciates his life, from the school to his small house, complete with enormous Newfoundland called Campbell.  He’s the perfect amateur Cozy sleuth and he acquits himself handsomely here from start to finish.

More complex, definitely more brooding, Inspector Robin Bright has a painful history that is deeply rooted in the very school that is the scene of the crime.  And this crime has brought up all the old hurtful memories and issues that Robin thought he had put in the past.  Again, Cochrane makes us feel the bitterness and anger Robin has carried with him all these years and it’s a stark contrast to Adam and the type of teacher he represents. Robin too is someone the reader will care about greatly.

And at the heart of this story is the crime and murderer who remains hidden for most of the story.  It’s a twisty little mystery, one that the reader will enjoy puzzling out along with Robin and Adam, as the scares, clues, and suspense ratchets up the stakes for all.  Is there a heart thumper or two?  Why, yes, there is and it makes the ending all the more enjoyable.

I hope that there are further mysteries ahead for Robin and Adam, they make quite the team.  And Charlie Cochrane’s ability to bring the gentility, intimacy, and sometimes deadly village goings on to life makes her a Cozy Mystery author to write home about.   Consider The Best Corpse for the Job, and its author, Charlie Cochrane both among Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words highly recommended reads.

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase.  I have to admit to being disappointed in the cover.  Too modern for a Cozy, it missed so many opportunities to highlight the story and the mystery it involves.  It looks more like a modern office than ancient private school.

Sales Links:  Riptide Press (available for pre order)   All Romance eBooks   Amazon – all links to follow

Book Details:

ebook, 298 pages
Expected publication: November 24th 2014 by Riptide Publishing
original titleThe Best Corpse for the Job
ISBN139781626491571
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://riptidepublishing.com/title

A MelanieM Review: Heat (Salisbury Stories #1) by R.J. Scott and Chris Quinton

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Heat 400x600Lewis Mandineau is at the lowest point of his life.  His parents were killed by a drunk lorry driver, a crash that left his beloved sister, Rachel, with brain damage and the functional age of a child.   Worse still, in the months after while Lewis was trying to cope with his loss and tend to his sister, his boyfriend at the time betrayed and stole from his family’s historic restaurant, Laurels.  Now, the unthinkable has happened. Laurels, the restaurant that had been in his family for generations had to be sold to Trelawney Enterprises, an American corporation, to repay the debts incurred by his ex lover and restore the Mandineau name.

Enter  Devon Trelawney III of Trelawney Enterprises.  Sent by his father to assess the viability of the restaurant and its staff, Devon knows all about family tradition. But he also knows sentiment has no place in business matters, and the Laurels’ potential is swamped by the debts it has accrued.  Devon is ready to arrive, assess and leave with the recommendation that Laurels be sold.  But nothing has prepared Devon for the impact that Lewis, Rachel, and Laurels itself will have on him and his future.

While Lewis and Devon are adjusting to each others presence, their attraction, and the possibility of more to come, other restaurants in the area are set aflame.  As the heat increases between a grief stricken chef and a hard nosed businessman with a plan, will the obstacles around them crumble or mount higher than ever before?

Heat by Chris Quinton and RJ Scott grabbed at my heartstrings right from the beginning of their story and never let go.  From the moment we meet Lewis and his sister, Rachel, their situation and love for each other pulls the readers into their lives and heartbreaking present.  Lewis is an especially appealing and romantic figure.  A chef, surrounded by long term, almost family, employees, Lewis is a man under attack from all directions.  The pain and loss of his parents, the betrayal of a man he loved and trusted, his sister’s brain damage and now total care,  now Lewis must deal with the devastating loss of Laurels, a family owned restaurant that has been theirs for hundreds of years.  That Scott and Quinton make the character of Lewis such a believably honorable, gentle soul makes his situation all the more heartrending to all around him and the readers as well.

At the same time we meet Lewis, we are also introduced to the confused, damaged 19 year old sister, Rachel.  And your heart is broken all over again.  The debilitating impact of the crash upon Rachel turns her into a child, one that loves Jelly Babies along with her brother.  Again, Scott and Quinton have done with research with Rachel, so that her behavior that wavers along with the emotional atmosphere at the restaurant is in line with realistic profile of someone with the same type of brain damage this character has incurred.   I adored her. You will too.  Plus I think I have found a new candy addiction as well.

A harder nut to crack, per se, is the character of  Devon Trelawney.  His first appearance puts everyone on guard, from the Mandineaus to the readers.  The authors make his personal growth and change in outlook such a strong element of this story that when the “real” Devon Trelawney emerges he takes our breathe away with his warmth and caring.  That switch allows us the embrace his relationship with Lewis, Rachel, and beyond.  This romance aspect of Heat   is charming and oh so hot!  Trust me, the heat is not restricted just to the kitchen here (but yes, that kitchen is a very sexy place too), but all over Laurels and the intense attraction that flares up between these not too dissimilar men.

I finished the story and then made sure I had it right.  Heat is but the first in a new series entitled Salisbury Stories from RJ Scott and Chris Quinton.  If this book is any indication, then Heat and the Salisbury Stories will be on everyones “must have, must read” list for the year and beyond.  But don’t take my word for it.  Pick up Heat (Salisbury Stories #1) today and begin your introduction to these captivating characters, their restaurant, and a romance to cheer for.  Its a definite recommended read here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words and a sumptuous banquet for all lovers of romance and hot men.

Cover art by Meredith Russell.  Russell delivers a wonderful cover, complete with charming location.

Sales Links:  Love Lane Books    All Romance eBooks    amazon    Heat (Salisbury Stories#1)

Book Details:

book, 205 pages
Published October 24th 2014 by Love Lane Books Limited (first published October 23rd 2014)
edition languageEnglish
url http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/heat.html
seriesSalisbury Stories #1

Let’s Go Back to Bluewater Bay with Starstruck by L. A. Witt (book tour and contest)

Welcome to Bluewater Bay!BWBlogo_Web

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

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

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

Join L.A. Witt and L.B. Gregg for the Welcome to Bluewater Bay Tour, and check out Starstruck and There’s Something About Ari to meet the cast, crew, and locals!BWB_150x300

About Starstruck

Starstruck_150pixels4pwHollywood is full of dirty secrets, but Carter refuses to be Levi’s.

Retired action star Levi Pritchard has made a quiet life for himself in the sleepy logging town of Bluewater Bay, Washington. But then Hollywood comes to film the wildly popular television series Wolf’s Landing, and Bluewater Bay isn’t so sleepy anymore. His retirement doesn’t stick, either, because he’s offered a part on the show—exactly the kind of complex role he’d always wanted, one that would prove him more than a glorified stuntman. The only catch? He has to stay in the closet—no matter how attractive he finds his co-star.

Carter Samuels is the critically-acclaimed male lead on Wolf’s Landing. And now, the man who inspired him to take up acting—and made him realize he’s gay—is joining the cast, and sparks fly between them instantly. But Carter is out and proud and determined to stay true to himself.

Remaining just friends is the only thing to do, as both the studio and Levi’s disapproving, dysfunctional family keep reminding them. Except their friendship deepens by the day, tempting them with what they can’t have but both desperately need.

About L.A. Witt.

L.A. Witt is an author of gay erotic romances, and has been recently exiled from Okinawa, Japan, to Omaha, Nebraska. She resides there with her husband, a telekinetic goldfish, and two incredibly spoiled cats. It’s unclear if the exile was the result of the mostly classified “Aquarium Incident,” or if she’s actually being hidden, for her protection, from the Polynesian Mafia and her arch nemesis, erotic romance author Lauren Gallagher.

Should you encounter Lauren, don’t tell her L.A. is in Omaha. This bio will self-destruct in 17 seconds.

Connect with L.A.:

Contest:  Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (excluding Starstruck) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 9th, and winners will be announced on November 10th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Barb, a Zany Old Lady, Review: Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by L.A. Witt

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Starstruck coverI’ve been “starstruck” by an amazing storyteller named L.A. Witt. The author put together the best and longest slow burn- ust story I’ve ever read, and when the two MCs did finally come together, they exploded in a supernova!

Levi Pritchard, aging (late 30’s), former Hollywood superstar, is known best for his role as Chad Eastwick—an action hero role he despised because it completely stifled his creativity and smothered his acting ability. He also despised the whole Hollywood scene, especially the press vultures who refused to let him live his own life—a gay man deeply closeted who only wanted to be allowed to love his partner Dylan, but instead had to deny him to the world, bringing about their eventual breakup. He’s also the victim of two alcoholic parents who, though now in recovery, are still critical of his life and would never accept him as gay so he can’t find the courage to out himself and force the expected estrangement. In short, Levi is a deeply closeted, frustrated man who is running away from the career he loves and running to the family he hates, rather than being true to himself. When he’s offered a chance for a small role in Wolf’s Landing, the successful show that’s been filming in his town, Bluewater Bay, he’s considering it for two reasons. The first is that his good friend, Anna Maxwell, is the highly esteemed director and the second is Carter Samuels, a young actor who caught Levi’s eye when he first came on the Hollywood scene a few years before.

Carter Samuels is thrilled when he learns that Levi Pritchard, his idol and the man on whom he’s had a secret crush for years, is going to be joining the cast of Wolf’s Landing. In fact, Levi is the reason Carter became an actor. He first fell in love with Levi and Levi’s talent when he was exposed to several indie films in which Levi starred in his early career. Even once he was typecast as Chad Eastwick, Carter saw through the constraints that role placed on Levi to the talent hidden below the surface. Now, to have a chance to work with him, whether it’s for this first “walk on” role, or whether the role becomes ongoing, Carter has all he can do to contain himself.

When the two meet, there’s a definite sexual chemistry, though neither wants to acknowledge it. A chance private encounter brings them together in a kiss that neither can ignore. They do acknowledge that the kiss happened and that it was good, but they make a conscious decision to avoid the entrapments of a relationship. They’ve found that they have a lot in common, including a love of obscure indie films, and want to focus on their friendship because they each accept that Levi is firmly in the closet and not interested in coming out.  Spoiler alert: Continue reading “Barb, a Zany Old Lady, Review: Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by L.A. Witt” →