Category: Uncategorized

The Werewolves of Manhattan are Back in AC Katt’s ‘Marking Kane’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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Marking Kane (Werewolves of Manhattan #4) by A.C. Katt
 Release Date: March 4, 2016

Goodreads Link:
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Lex Valentine

Blurb

Gabriel Martin has hope. Three of the Alphas on the council have found mates in the past year and a half. Returning to New York from Atlanta, he comes across a human who has been raped in an alleyway. The human is his mate, Kane Brady.

Kane has been teaching at the local high school and refuses to rubber stamp the education of their star basketball players—almost paying the price with his life. He’s unusual as he’s a Human Omega but he can’t be intimate with Gabriel because of his horrific experience.

It’s up to the Alphas and their Mates to help Kane recover and accept all that it is to be with Gabriel.

 

Pages or Words: 51,655
Series is best read in order – His Omega, Remy’s Painter, Scarred Mate, Marking Kane
 Categories: M/M Romance, Paranormal, Shifters (Wolf)

Excerpt

First Week in December Friday

The faculty room at New York City’s McClellan High School reeked of industrial strength cleaner, sweat socks, and chalk. The walls were made of dirty beige concrete blocks and the linoleum was beginning to crack. Today it was empty save for Coach Tom Hughes and Kane Brady, the junior year English teacher, who were involved in a heated exchange.

“Neither Johnny Sanders nor Deon Jackson did the work. They didn’t turn in one homework assignment all semester, they refused to take all of their tests and didn’t even bother to do their term papers. I have to fail them.”

“Do you realize that Johnny is the power forward and Deon is the point guard for McClellan High School’s basketball team? This year’s team has a shot at the state championship.”

“Tom, they’re not here to learn to play basketball, they can do that on the street or at the Y. They’re here for an education and they won’t get one if we continue to pass students along without them doing the work required to get a passing grade.”

“Are you telling me physical education isn’t important?” Coach loomed over Kane, who was only five-foot-six.

“Physical Education is as important as English is to their development. If they failed to show up for your class, sat on the sidelines for every exercise and disrupted the class on a regular basis what would you do? I know you’ve failed students.” Kane’s eyes blazed.

“I didn’t fail our two, star basketball players,” the Coach huffed.

“Talk to them about what happened. I didn’t want to be unreasonable so when I realized they were on the team and failing my class, I told the boys in November what they had to do to pass. I also told their parents. They didn’t do it. They didn’t turn in one missed homework assignment or the term paper I assigned in September.”

“They don’t have time for all that shit, they have to practice. The other teachers go along. This is your first year here. You fail Deon and Johnny and you’re out on your ear.” Coach drank the sludge they called coffee and stared at Kane pointedly.

“And I’m out on my ear if these kids don’t pass the standardized tests at the end of the school year.”

“There are ways of getting around that.” Coach Hughes was trying to physically intimidate him, and Kane wasn’t buying it.

“So which do you suggest, do I sacrifice their education so they graduate without being able to read passed a sixth-grade level? Or do you suggest I fail them and give them the incentive to pass next semester so they can play ball?”

“These boys can get scholarships for college if they play,” the coach said belligerently.

“And if they don’t do the work here, their professors will fail them because they can’t keep up and they won’t be able to play or pay for the education they were promised.” Kane was practically begging the coach to put the kids and their futures first.

“They have difficult lives at home.” The coach got sanctimonious.

“No, they don’t. They have both of their parents and both sets of parents work. Deon’s father is a policeman and Johnny’s mother is a nurse. I’ve spoken to them and they agree with my decision. Their boys have gotten out of hand. They are aware that their sons have not done any school work for the past two years, with the school turning a blind eye. As I said, I have their full support. The parents would rather have their sons educated than have them only know how to play basketball.”

“They don’t have the mental capacity to do the work.”

“I’d like to see you tell that to their parents. If they were incapable of doing the assignments, I’d suggest putting them in a remedial class, but they can do the work, they just refuse to do it.” Kane glared at the coach.

“One way or another, you’ll pay for this. Those kids were my ticket to coaching college ball and I’m not going to lose out because of you”,” Tom shouted. Kane shrunk back. The coach was six foot six and about two-hundred fifty pounds to his one-forty soaking wet.

“Get them another student to tutor them. If they catch up, I’ll change their grade,” Kane offered.

“Fuck you, Brady. Either you pass both Deon and Johnny, or you’ll pay the consequences. This is what happens when you let fags teach school.”

“I could have you fired for that remark.”

The coach pushed him up against a wall, shook him and said, “Buddy, you’re not going to be around long enough to complain.” He let Kane go and Kane slipped to the floor.

Tom Hughes tore out of the faculty room and down the corridor.

Kane had stood his ground but was shaking in his boots. He wished he had someone to talk to about this, but this was his first year teaching and since he came in August from Indiana, he hadn’t had time to make friends. The coach had been at the school for five years. What is my word worth against his?

***

The coach approached Johnny and Deon in the locker room. “He won’t budge. If you get your papers in, he’ll pass you, if you don’t you fail. You should have made a token effort.”

“Why should we have to be in class with a fag? Why would I want to do work for a fag? He needs schooling of a different kind. By the time Deon and I are through with him, there’ll be a new teacher in English three who gets how to play the game.” Johnny’s smile boded no good for Kane Brady.

“Yeah, let’s see how much he really likes to take it up the ass.” Deon poked his friend in the ribs. “We’ll make it a team effort.” Deon laughed out loud.

“Yeah sort of like a class project,” Johnny smirked.

“I didn’t hear you say that. Remember, if you get caught, it will go worse for you than if you fail,” Coach told them. “You’re courting jail time and then no college or pro team will have you.”

“You’re just as guilty as we are for encouraging us not to participate in that fag’s class and you’ve threatened other teachers before this.” Deon spat. “This one is the first one to face you down. The fag has balls, who knew?”

“If he fails us, you don’t get to coach college ball. If we get caught, you don’t get to coach college ball. It would be in your interest to let us know where he lives so we can take care of business, and to provide us with an alibi if we need one.” Johnny stood waiting for the requested information.

“He sometimes stays late to review papers and make up his lesson plans. You can follow him home. If you get caught, you’re on your own.”

“No, we’re not. You’re right there with us. We told you what we’re going to do, if you don’t report us, you’re as guilty as we are. But, we all know you won’t make any waves because you want that college coaching position.”

“All right, go, do your worst. If you get caught, I know nothing.”

“Right…” said Deon as he elbowed Johnny in the ribs and smirked.

***

Kane hadn’t realized it was after nine. He was grading papers. It was easier to do that at school. Here he could spread out unlike in his efficiency apartment. However, his apartment was only two blocks from work on the edge of New York’s trendy SOHO and convenient to shopping. It also had huge windows which let in more light than the usual city apartment. His was a neighborhood in flux. He lived in an old tenement and there was a pricey new high-rise down the block at Ten Sullivan. It was the tallest building in SOHO.

Kane sighed, gathered up his papers, put them in his satchel and closed up his classroom.

“Good night, Ernie,” he called to the janitor as he left the building.

“Good night Mr. Brady. You be careful. There’s a lot of snow and ice outside and they’re predicting another storm. Schools will probably be closed tomorrow.

“I’ll be careful. Thanks.”

***

Kane shivered in the cold. The walk home seemed more difficult tonight, feet dragging through the snow piles with the wind gusts almost picking him up off the ground. He kept on looking over his shoulder. Kane was sure someone was following him. Every time he glanced backward he saw shadows in doorways.

He looked around again and watched five boys in ski masks come out of an alley. They were walking quickly toward him, with seeming purpose. As they got closer, he realized that they were following him. He began to walk faster. They also picked up speed. Kane started to run.

Buy the book: MLR Press

 

Meet the Author

AC Katt was born in New York City’s Greenwich Village. She remembers sitting at the fountain in Washington Square Park listening to folk music while they passed the hat. At nine, her parents dragged her to New Jersey where she grew up, married and raised four children and became a voracious reader of romantic fiction. At one time she owned over two thousand novels, until she and her husband took themselves and the cat to New Mexico for their health and its great beauty.

Now, most of AC’s books are electronic (although she still keeps six bookcases of hardcovers), so she never has to give away another book. AC is a late bloomer, however, she claims to have found her niche writing LGBT romance.

She hangs out at ACKatt.com and ackattsjournal.com; where she keeps her blog. To get snippets of new releases and Works in Progress subscribe to AC Katt’s Kattery by sending an e-mail to mlhansel@gmail.com.

Where to find the author:

 


BannerTemplate Tour Dates & Stops: March 4, 2016

Parker Williams, Open Skye Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie,
Full Moon Dreaming, Alpha Book Club, A.M. Leibowitz, Multitasking Mommas, Outrageous Heroes, Decadent Delights, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Velvet Panic, Happily Ever Chapter,
BFD Book Blog, The Jena Wade, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Unquietly Me, Molly Lolly
Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, My Fiction Nook, MM Good Book Reviews, Bonkers About Books, Mikky’s World of Books, Inked Rainbow Reads

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Full set of ‘Werewolves of Manhattan’ by A.C. Katt.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Looking for a New M/M SciFy Novel to Read? Check out F.T. Lukens’ ‘The Star Host’ (author guest blog, excerpt and giveaway)

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The Star Host (Broken Moon #1) by F.T. Lukens
Release Date: March 3, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Duet Books, the Young Adult imprint of Interlude Press
Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing F.T. Lukens author of The Star Host. Hi F.T., thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

*******

Hi, everyone. This is F.T. and I’m very excited to share with you my first novel The Star Host. It is a science-fiction adventure which features a diverse cast and takes place across planet, drifts, and spaceships. It is my version of magic in space.

Give us a to-do list for one of your characters.

This is a great question and I decided to do it with both of my main characters, Ren and Asher, while they are stuck as prisoner’s at the antagonist’s citadel.

Ren’s to-d0 list while he is a prisoner at the citadel:

  • Wake up in the morning in an iron cell and on a moldy mattress
  • Eat stale bread and drink lukewarm water
  • Think about escaping
  • Try not to think about dungeon-mate, Asher. He is annoying, arrogant, and pretty. He’s also a drifter.
  • Work in the courtyard. Don’t draw attention to self. Keep head down. And keep technopathic ability secret and under control. (This is much harder than it seems.)
  • Make friends with the guards
  • Try not to go insane (Also much harder than previously thought.)
  • Plan an escape with other captives
  • Dream about the stars

Asher’s to-do list while he is a prisoner at the citadel:

  • Wake up
  • Stay in cell all day
  • Annoy Ren
  • Push-ups
  • Eat stew
  • Wait for Ren to return
  • Poke at guards
  • Annoy Ren again
  • Make Ren tell stories
  • Repeat

As you can see, the start of their friendship is based on mutual dislike which becomes mutual teasing and then later becomes mutual affection. Ren and Asher start to depend on each other to survive. Asher takes comfort in Ren’s stories and Ren relies on Asher as his anchor when his newly discovered power threatens to overwhelm him. They learn that it’s only by working as a team that they will be able to escape and save their families.

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Blurb

Ren grew up listening to his mother tell stories about the Star Hosts – a mythical group of people possessed by the power of the stars. The stories were the most exciting part of Ren’s life, and he often dreamed about leaving his backwater planet and finding his place among the neighboring drifts. When Ren is captured by soldiers and taken from his home, he must remain inconspicuous while plotting his escape. It’s a challenge since the general of the Baron’s army is convinced Ren is something out of one of his mother’s stories.

He finds companionship in the occupant of the cell next to his, a drifter named Asher. A member of the Phoenix Corps, Asher is mysterious, charming, and exactly the person Ren needs to anchor him as his sudden technopathic ability threatens to consume him. Ren doesn’t mean to become attached, but after a daring escape, a trek across the planet, and an eventful ride on a merchant ship, Asher is the only thing that reminds Ren of home. Together, they must warn the drifts of the Baron’s plans, master Ren’s growing power, and try to save their friends while navigating the growing attraction between them.

 

Pages or Words: 258 pages
 Categories: Fiction, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Excerpt

Once at the hangar, Ren broke away from the two guards and entered the lancer, walking up the stairs, irritation a heavy feeling in his chest.

“Reporting for work,” Ren said, his tone heavily laced with annoyance.

Janus popped up from a console she had been working under, goggles on her face, gray hair sticking up everywhere. “You!” she snapped. “I told you not to come back.”

Ren rolled his eyes. “It’s not my choice. I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here.”

“Where are your guards? I told the dumb one not to bring you back, Abiathar’s orders be damned. I don’t want your kind working on these ships.”

She poked a finger hard into Ren’s chest and he staggered back, and rubbed his hand over the spot.

“What the stars do you mean by my kind?”

Her eyes grew comically large behind the goggles. “You don’t know?” She laughed, bordering on hysterical. “You’re more dangerous than I thought. You can’t try to control it if you don’t even know what you are.”

Ren frowned. His tolerance for the cryptic nonsense everyone had spouted since he arrived was gone. He took a step toward the hull and Janus stiffened.

“Don’t,” she barked.

“Don’t what? Touch it? What will happen, huh?”

Her face paled and her chest heaved with panicked breaths. “You don’t know what you’re capable of.”

Ren laughed. “I’m capable of nothing. I’m a duster, planet-born with very limited experience with tech. You have no reason to be frightened of me.”

He moved closer to the hull, hand outstretched, fingers splayed.

She whimpered. “Please, don’t.”

Ren slammed his hand against the hull, his fingertips leaving greasy marks on the shiny surface. As he predicted, nothing happened.

He turned back to Janus. “See? Nothing–”

His word tangled in his throat, cut off, because suddenly, Ren was consumed with power, rushing from his toes to his fingertips. A blue tint clouded his vision, and his body suffused with golden warmth. And then he was floating amongst the wires, connected to the ship, to the energy source, to everything. The lancer pulsed under his skin, tangling in his veins, its systems integrated with his senses.

It was freeing and frightening.

His consciousness raced along the circuits and he could fix it. He could fix everything. He found the tangle of wires in the artificial gravity system and bypassed it. He found the broken circuits in the air recyclers and with a pulse of power, refurbished them. He saw the static in the com system, a physical entity, and he cleared it away with a brush of his metaphysical hand.

The longer Ren floated through the ship, the less connected he was to his physical body. And if he thought about it, he didn’t need his body. Why would he need his body? He was free here. He moved around with ease, the wires and the systems his route, and the more he pushed, the more he felt the other ships too. They were nearby, on the edge of his perception, and he could go to those, he could jump to the other ones and repair them too.

He could.

He could.

 

Buy the book:

Interlude Press Web Store: store.interludepress.com

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple iBookstore: The Star Host

All Romance eBooks

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Meet and follow the Author

F.T. wrote her first short story when she was in third grade and her love of writing continued from there. After placing in the top five out of ten thousand entries in a writing contest, she knew it was time to dive in and try her hand at writing a novel.

A wife and mother of three, F.T. holds degrees in psychology and English literature, and is a long-time member of her college’s science-fiction club. F.T. has a love of cheesy television shows, superhero movies, and science-fiction novels—especially anything by Douglas Adams.

Connect with F.T. at authorftlukens.wordpress.com on Twitter @ftlukens, on Tumblr at ftlukens.tumblr.com and on Goodreads at goodreads.com/ftlukens.

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

3-Mar: Hearts on Fire, Happily Ever Chapter, Kirsty Loves Books, Velvet Panic

4-Mar: Full Moon Dreaming, Havan Fellows, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

7-Mar: Jessie G. Books, Divine Magazine, Boys on the Brink Reviews

8-Mar: V’s Reads, Butterfly-O-Meter, Love Bytes

9-Mar: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Nephy Hart, KathyMac Reviews

10-Mar: Bonkers About Books, Inked Rainbow Reads, Prism Book Alliance, Attention is Arbitrary

11-Mar: A.M. Leibowitz, The Novel Approach

14-Mar: Man2ManTastic, Anna Butler Fiction

15-Mar: Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie

16-Mar: BFD Book Blog, My Fiction Nook

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press Web Store gift card (grand prize) + 5 winners of The Star Host eBook.  Must be 18 years of age or older.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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A Stella Review: Strong Side (Eastshore Tigers #1) by Alison Hendricks

RATING  3,5 out of 5 stars

Strong SideTheir chemistry on the field is undeniable. But can they ever be more than friends?

Jason Hawkins is about to throw the biggest Hail Mary pass of his career.

If he can’t turn NFL recruiters’ heads this year, he’ll lose his shot at the one thing he’s ever been good at. But every quarterback needs a man he can count on down-field. For Jason, that man just might be the Tigers’ new receiver, Derek Griffin.

Four years ago, Derek nearly lost everything after being outed by his teammates.

Now he finally has a chance to get it all back as a walk-on for Eastshore College… if he can resist his immediate attraction to the gorgeous and very straight star quarterback.

An instant connection during practice leads to an easy friendship that only grows stronger off the field. Derek is convinced friendship is all it’ll ever be, but a very confusing moment of impulse leaves both of them fumbling for answers about their relationship.

As curiosity gives way to passion and passion gives way to something deeper, Jason and Derek will have to tackle their own personal demons to bring home the win and earn their happy ending.

I’m always curious about new authors, so when I saw this debut book by Alison Hendricks I soon picked it, even though I’m not a huge fan of sport themed stories but I couldn’t resist. Plus the cover wasn’t bad at all.

Strong Side was a joy to read, light, quick and lovely, there wasn’t any drama or angst.  Everything flew by easily, the coming out, the relationship between Derek and Jason, I really appreciated all of these. Sometimes  a book like this one is exactly what I want to read.

Everything about the story was believable and realistic, especially in their friendship  that first developed, and in  the love that came later. It is truly a story I had no trouble liking characters I cared for. I was waiting for the so called shoe to drop and when I understood no drama was going to happen, I fully enjoyed the rest of the story.

I usually am a little wary about the new adult genre but in this case the author did great cause both Jason and Derek are sure of themselves and what they want, ready for the future to come, even when it’s a hard one, they never fall down.

I must add, there were some mistakes, editing issues I noted even with my poor English, but I pretty much ignored them, it’s a debut book and at the end it was well done in my opinion.

Strong Side really satisfied me. I have to say I relaxed and enjoyed it a lot. I can’t wait for the second book in this new series!

The cover art is well done and eyecatching to me.

Sale Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 264 pages
Published January 20th 2016 by Amazon Digital Services
Original TitleStrong Side
ASINB01AWVK8QC
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesEastshore Tigers #1

J. Johanis Brings Sex, Dragons, and Darkness with Slash OP Series: Toy Soldier #2 (Character Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway)

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Slash Op (Toy Soldier #2) by J. Johanis
Release Date: February 29, 2016
Publisher:  Self-Published

Goodreads

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to  welcome a different perspective on J Johanis’ new novel, a video conference with author J. Johanis and character character, dragon insurgent leader, Zeki Shaytan.    Welcome to our blog, JJ and Zeki, this is a first for us…

*********

Video Conference Character Interview with dragon insurgent leader, Zeki Shaytan

JJ: Thank you so much for meeting with me Mr. Shaytan. Though I was hoping we could meet face to face, I understand your concerns with security. I want to start off asking you about your rank and responsibilities in the dragon insurgency.

Zeki: I’d be glad to tell you, but first I need to make one thing clear. There’s no insurgency in the dragon territory! When the imperialists Earth Forces colonized our home planet, they slaughtered millions of dragons. Then they brought some of us here to Earth and put us in reservations. Since our population has grown, we’ve moved out in the surrounding areas. It’s called the dragon district because we’re the only ones living there. So, the fact that we govern ourselves and defend against Earth Forces aggression does not make us insurgents.

JJ: Okay, well can you tell me more about the conflict?

Zeki: Earth Forces continues to harass us. They come into our district and conduct assassinations and kidnappings, so when we fight, it’s to defend ourselves. It is our right and duty to kill any Earth Forces soldier that dares enter our territory.

JJ: This is my first time hearing the dragon perspective, so there is something that I find difficult to understand. If every dragon in the district can shift into a full sized dragon, don’t you have an advantage over humans? Why would you even need guns or explosives? Plus, how would it even be possible for Earth Forces to kidnap a dragon?

Zeki: There’s a variety of reasons. First of all, Earth Forces have developed armor penetrating bullets. So in our dragon form, we’re a larger target. As for capturing dragons, the imperialists have a long history of drugging and raping dragon captives, which they do because their sperm keeps our kind from shifting. Additionally, the Earth Union is responsible for developing the Persuasion drug in order to use it against the dragon population. Since Persuasion makes someone crave sex so bad that they can’t go without it, dragon’s injected with the drug become easy targets.

JJ: If that’s true, it’s unfortunate. Well, I wish I had all the answers, but I hope that you all can find a way to live together peacefully.

Zeki: That’s not going to happen. We will exterminate the human race just like they exterminated us. They took our planet, so we are going to take theirs!

JJ: Right, well, thank you so much for the interview.

Purchase it at All Romance | Barnes & Noble

Blurb

The White House has ordered the execution of a highly sensitive covert operation in dragon-occupied territory. Though a Slash Op has a zero percent survival rate, the commanding general is forced to enlist his most prized officer for the task.

Major Gideon is embarking on his first mission in the dragon district. Yet Gideon has hardly recovered from all that Drago made him endure. For the past three months, Gideon has been plagued with dreams of dragons terrorizing him, but his dreams have gradually turned into sexual fantasies. Despite coming to terms with his longing to have Drago in bed, Gideon cannot suppress his desire to beat Drago’s face in. When Gideon is called for a mission in the most dangerous district on Earth, what freaks him out the most is the prospect of seeing Drago again.

Content Advisory: Graphic violence, dragon sex, & non-con.

Excerpt

Gideon squeezed his dick through his jeans and groaned. How the hell was he going to handle seeing Drago the next day? Gideon had been dying just thinking about him.

When he opened his eyes, he spotted a familiar face moving through the crowd. Sergeant Talon, in skintight jeans, a black tank top, and sporting a military haircut was walking straight for him. He was hotter than Gideon had ever seen him before. Gideon rose to his feet as he approached.

“Hey, Major,” Talon said, taking Gideon’s hand and pulling him into a hug. Talon smacked Gideon’s ass and stepped back to check him out. “You’re so fucking hot!”

Gideon’s face warmed. Talon was out of line, but it was what he’d grown to expect from him.

“Uh, okay…” Gideon said, stepping to the side in an attempt to put more distance between them, but Talon put his hand on the wall, preventing his retreat. Gideon furrowed his brow, wondering what kind of game he was playing. During their captivity, Talon had always taken liberties. When Stella said the first man to make Gideon come would get to fuck him, Talon had gone down on him like he’d meant it.

“You know, I heard you were returning to Fort Hood, and I was hoping I’d find you here,” Talon said, pushing Gideon’s back to the wall. Gideon opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say a word, Talon slid a hand down the front of Gideon’s jeans and grasped his erection.

“What the…?” Gideon’s protest was cut short when Talon’s hot lips pressed into his own. Gideon groaned into Talon’s mouth, but inside he was screaming. This was wrong! Talon was his soldier—he couldn’t let him do this. He tried to pull back, but Talon held him in place, jerking him harder and faster while deepening his kiss. Gideon felt his climax coming, and before he could collect his thoughts, his body flushed with heat and he came in Talon’s hand.

Gideon broke their embrace, struggling for breath while his body quaked. What the fuck was he doing? Everything had happened so quickly, yet he had no desire to push Talon away. He needed this. Talon’s rough hands on him, forcing him to his will.

Title: Slash OP
Series: Toy Soldier #2Slash Op 3D both large
Author: J. Johanis
Length: 95 pages
Genre:  M/M Dark Erotica, M/M Sci-fi

About the Author

J. Johanis writes m/m dark erotica and enjoys creating worlds that are myth-based or futuristic.

Author Links

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | FACEBOOK PAGE | TWITTER | PINTEREST
GOODREADS | BLOG | NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

Slash Op TOUR BANNER

Giveaway

One winner will receive a $30.00 Amazon gift card and five more winners will receive an ebook copy of Drago Star, book one in the series. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.Drago Star - Book #1

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Slash OP Blog Tour

29 February – The Novel Approach, Attention is Arbitrary, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

1 March – Jena Wade, TTC Books & More

2 March – Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Scott Coatsworth

3 March – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

4 March – Love Bytes

7 March – Book Lovers 4 Ever

8 March – Divine Magazine, Hearts On Fire Reviews

9 March – Diverse Reader

10 March – MM Book Escape, Emotion in Motion

11 March – The Dark Arts

Its Love and War with American Flyboy by N.D. Clark (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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American Flyboy by N.D. Clark
 Release Date: December 5, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: N.D. Clark
Cover Artist: Graphicxdesigns

Today Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to be interviewing Nolan Clark, author of American Flyboy. Hi Nolan, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

*******

I was born in Biloxi, MS and educated at NC State University. I’m an American author who loves reading and writing gay romance/erotica set in historical backgrounds and spending time with my husband Jim, going for long walks in nature parks, dining out and taking in the occasional movie. I’ve been with my husband, Jim for almost sixteen years, and we were married two years ago, shortly have the US Supreme Court ruling allowing gay people to marry throughout the United States.

American Flyboy is my first book and it is a highly readable, erotic M/M romance set amidst the backdrop of World War II.

  • Nolan, can you give us ten tips for becoming a better writer?

1-Read as much as you can in the genre in which you write.

2-Check out the books by well-established and successful authors.

3-Write something every day, even if it’s just a few ideas about your next scene, no matter how crazy they might seem; there will always be a few good ones.

4-Set writing goals; my minimal is 250 words five days a week.

5-Use actions verbs.

6-Make sure you have a good understanding of POV. This still trips me up at times.

7-Persistance; don’t listen to people or even your own voice telling you to give up. Steven King’s first book, Carrie, only netted him a few thousand dollars.

8-Invest in a good thesaurus.

9-Have beta readers read your book just before you’re ready to publish.

10-Indie writers should learn to edit their own books; paying an expensive editor will put you in the poor house considering most indie authors never sell more than a few hundred copies of any book and that’s if they’re lucky (Don’t believe me, do some research, you’ll be stunned). I hired an editor for my first book, and I don’t expect to ever recover this cost; I will learn to edit my own books from this point forward. One of the books I recommend on self-editing is Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon.

Fantastic, advice.  Thank you so much for a  wonderful interview. Now for more about American Flyboy…

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Blurb

American Flyboy is a highly readable, erotic M/M romance set amidst the backdrop of World War II.

The story is fast-paced and characterized by the believability of its characters, notably the protagonist, Lt. Kenneth Hellman, and the romance that develops between Kenneth and Colonel Wilhelm Braun. The erotic reader in search of well-nuanced, sexy love/lovemaking scenes will not be disappointed; the author is gifted with an affinity toward creating realistic, absorbing sex scenes.

 

Pages or Words: 163 pages, 55,260 words
 Categories: Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly

Excerpt

Wilhelm whispered in soft breaths, “Raise your hands above your head, Kenneth.” Standing behind him, he pulled the grimy POW uniform top over his head and inhaled deeply. “I find your scent intoxicating.” It was unexpected, Wilhelm’s warm breath gently caressing the nape of his neck; Kenneth’s breath quickened. Loosening the silk blindfold, Wilhelm allowed the soft, smooth fabric to glide over Kenneth’s massive, broad shoulders tapering to a V-shaped torso and down his naked back.

Shuddering at the sleek sensations, Kenneth asked, “Are you trying to seduce me Wilhelm?”

In response, Wilhelm stepped closer and pressed his body into Kenneth’s. Wrapping his arms around his waist, Wilhelm kissed him innocently. “I’ve wanted to do that from the first day we met.”

Kenneth kissed him back softly, lingering. He felt safe and whole.

Coaxing Kenneth’s lips apart, Wilhelm’s tongue entered his mouth, tickling the sensitive palate with light flicks. Their lips crushed together with bruising kisses. Wilhelm broke away, gazing longingly into Kenneth’s eyes. “To answer your question, Kenneth, I am guilty of feeding a wounded POW a wonderful meal, relieving his pain with fine brandy, delighting him with romantic music and drawing him a hot relaxing bath of chamomile salts to soak away the stress of a bad day. Your glass is empty. Why don’t you finish undressing and ease into your bath while I get you another drink.” Wilhelm’s voice trailed off as he left the bathroom. “It’s baffling how you arrived at such an audacious conclusion as seduction.”

“My mistake,” Kenneth called after him, laughing to himself. He kicked off his dilapidated work shoes and pushed his boxers and grungy work pants down his long, muscular legs. Raking his strong fingers through the water, heightened the aroma of chamomile, and he inhaled the relaxing scent before slipping into the warm liquid heaven. His tired muscles released their tension as he submerged his body to the neck. Kenneth held his breath and slipped his head under. As he closed his eyes, his exhaustion seemed to float to the surface, and his thoughts drifted to Wilhelm, charming, handsome, tall and strong. His cock swelled to a full erection as he surfaced and rested his head against the back edge of the tub. Wiping the water from his eyes, he inhaled deeply and faded into sleep.

 

Buy the book:

Meet the author:

N.D.Clark was born in Biloxi, MS and educated at NC State University. He is an American author who loves reading and writing gay romance/erotica set in historical backgrounds and spending time with his husband Jim, going for long walks in nature parks, dining out and taking in the occasional movie. He has been with his husband, Jim for almost sixteen years and was married two years ago, shortly have the US Supreme Court ruling allowing gay marriage throughout the United States.

Where to find the author:

 


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3-Feb

Happily Ever Chapter, Alpha Book Club, Mikky’s World of Books

10-Feb

Unquietly Me, Book Lovers 4Ever, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

17-Feb

MM Good Book Reviews

24-Feb

Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

2-Mar

Love Bytes, BFD Book Blog

9-Mar

3 Chicks After Dark, Inked Rainbow Reads, Prism Book Alliance

16-Mar

Divine Magazine, Bayou Book Junkie

23-Mar

Havan Fellows, My Fiction Nook, Foxylutely Book Reviews

Final

Giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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A BJ Review: Solid Education by Bianca Sommerland

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Solid EducationGage Tackett comes off as a bad boy—detached and maybe a little dangerous. Definitely not Vet Sciences Professor Derek Paulson’s type. Which he tells himself, repeatedly, every time the other man attends his class. Until the day he looks over to see Gage’s seat is empty.

When Gage arrives at Derek’s veterinary clinic with a frostbitten stray dog, the lines of their teacher/student relationship are blurred. Derek realizes his most difficult student has a few things to teach him. Things he’s more than willing to learn.

This was a new to me author, and one who I noticed writes mostly in the M/F romance genre. However, the cover drew me in on first glance–I’m a sucker for both dogs and blonds. For the most part, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. But there were several times when I found myself confused, when the guy’s conversation just really lost me.

I am a totally dogaholic, so I thoroughly enjoyed the parts of the story about the dog(s). Derek being a vet, Gage a vet student and former military dog handler still grieving the loss of his service dog, Gunner. Then the rescue of the stray, and the way Matty brought the two men together and even changed the path of their future. All of that was sweet and completely awesome. I loved how Derek used Matty to get Gage into his bed (not for sex, mind you, but for snuggling and cuddling). So sweet.

However, when it came to the guys themselves separate from dogs, well, I admit that it took quite a while for me to connect with either man. I feel that I would have enjoyed this much more if both Derek and Gage were more fleshed out more in ways outside their connection to dogs.

Derek came across as haughty and aloof at first, and while we get to see later that it’s due to his having been hurt before—well, there wasn’t enough backstory of that to make me feel enough for him to truly understand why/how a man of his looks and station in life would so readily pull away from wanting a real relationship and begin to act as he was. I mean, hell, we all get hurt. That’s life.

Gage’s loss of Gunner, his military dog was poignant—the visit he makes to the military dog memorial had me close to tears. But there was little background on Gage himself, really. And while it was mentioned that Gunner had helped Gage with the nightmares (obviously due to PTSD), the details on what incident or incidents started them were missing.

The build up of sexual tension and chemistry developing between the two worked well, but I felt let down when the actual sexy bits arrive. For me, they felt rushed, almost skimmed over, which kept them from being as hot as I’d hoped for.

Overall, this is a sweet story that any dog lover should enjoy. Aptly showing how the love a dog can enhance and change our lives.

Sales Link:  Amazon


Book Details:  

Kindle Edition, 142 pages
Published September 14th 2015
ASINB015EPMZCG
Edition LanguageEnglish

Its Release Day for A.M. Leibowitz’s ‘Anthem’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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Anthem (Notes from Boston #1) by A.M. Leibowitz
 Release Date: March 1, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Acquitted Books
Cover Artist: Brett Kessler

Blurb

Trevor Davidson has everything going for him. He’s just moved out on his own with three friends, and he’s landed a job as music director at a large Boston church. He has high hopes for marrying his long-term girlfriend and settling into a comfortable, devout lifestyle.

Andre Cole has spent the past few years throwing himself into a dead-end job at a Cape Cod-based call center. When an opportunity to move back to Boston arises, Andre believes it will be the do-over he needs to put his past behind him.

A chance meeting in a club on New Year’s Eve brings Trevor and Andre together for a brief but steamy encounter. Both assuming that’s the end of it, they are unexpectedly thrown back into each other’s lives when Trevor’s church hires Andre for their website design. While Andre is content at first to move on, Trevor’s conflicted feelings bubble over into his songwriting. Before he can stop it, his ode to Andre becomes an inadvertent Christian radio hit.

Unfortunately for Trevor, he isn’t the only one who knows the song’s hidden meaning. Someone has leaked the story and upended Trevor’s life. In order to put the pieces back together, he needs to learn to be honest with his girlfriend, with Andre, and especially with himself.

 

Pages or Words: 85,000 words/270 pages
 Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Polyamory

Excerpt

A sliver of light and the door thumping shut alerted him to the presence of someone else. His hands stopped moving, hovering over the keyboard. He looked up to see Pastor Bret standing at the back of the aud.

Trevor jumped, his face flaming, and he was glad for the dim light hiding the red flush he was sure marked his cheeks. “Uh…hi?” he squawked out.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Pastor Bret said. “The song is fantastic. You’ve been holding out on us, acting like you didn’t have anything big for the recording. Where’ve you been hiding that one?”

Covering his tracks, Trevor joked, “Under my hat.” His stomach churned.

“Uh huh. Well, I’d like to see you finish up your new song so we can use it. How long do you think it’ll take?”

“It’s about done, but—” He coughed, stalling while he worked out what to say to Bret to put him off. “I was thinking about changing some of the words, though. It’s not—I mean, it doesn’t specifically say God or Jesus, and it probably needs some other fixes. You know, so it sounds more…spiritual.” Trevor gritted his teeth in frustration as the inspiration for the song rose to the forefront of his mind.

Bret looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. Can you play it for me?”

All the blood which had previously rushed to Trevor’s face drained away, and sweat trickled down his neck to his collar. “I—”

“Not sure you want anyone to hear it til it’s perfect, eh?” Bret laughed. “Come on. Don’t worry that it’s not good enough.”

Oh, God, help me! Trevor prayed. “Okay,” he heard himself say, even though he’d really meant to say, No way in hell.

He played the opening chords and began to sing, quietly at first and then with more confidence. “You touch my heart…”

He immersed himself in the song and in the memories he’d drawn on to write it. It didn’t matter what it was about; he was perfectly capable of making it sound like a love song to his God. He kept his gaze trained on the chord sheet in front of him, not daring to look Bret in the eye just in case. When he was through, he let the note fade away and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see Bret’s reaction.

It took a moment, but Bret finally broke the silence. “Wonderful. I wouldn’t change a thing. When we have a thousand members all singing this together, they’ll all know who they’re singing it for.”

Trevor’s immediate reaction was, No, they won’t.

Buy the book

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

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Meet the Author

A. M. Leibowitz is a queer spouse, parent, feminist, and book-lover falling somewhere on the Geek-Nerd Spectrum. Ze keeps warm through the long, cold western New York winters by writing about life, relationships, hope, and happy-for-now endings. In between noveling and editing, ze blogs coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, books, and hir family.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, The Hat Party, Three Books Over The Rainbow, KathyMac Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Elaine White, Unquietly Me, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Happily Ever Chapter, Molly Lolly,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Alpha Book Club, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Louise Lyons, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Love Bytes, Velvet Panic, Kirsty Loves Books, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a prize. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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