Its Back to Bluewater Bay with How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay #12) by Jaime Samms Riptide Tour and Contest

How the Cookie Crumbles

How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay #12) by Jaime Samms
Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist L.C. Chase

Release Date February 13, 2016
Goodreads Link

Buy it/Read an Excerpt here

About How the Cookie Crumbles

After losing a rigged cooking show competition—and a potential lover—to another baker, Frederic Jackson packs up his considerable baggage and moves to Bluewater Bay. He uses the network’s hush money to buy a new bakery where he hopes the small town’s revitalized economy will let him start anew.

Blaire Caruthers never wanted to work for his father at Caruthers Industries. He should have known that fixing the company’s show results was a mistake, and that choosing another man over kind, generous Frederic was an even bigger one. But the damage is done. To escape the fallout, he’s gone to Bluewater Bay to oversee the company’s interest in Wolf’s Landing merchandise.

Stuck in a small, nowhere town doing a job he hates, Blaire wants nothing more than to prove to Frederic he’s changed. However, Frederic struggles to trust the man who betrayed him once already. As Blaire loses ground with his father, and Frederic starts falling back into self-destructive habits, they both have to find the balance and control that’s been missing from their lives.

This title is  part of Riptide Publishing’s Bluewater Bay series, a listing of which can be found hereBWBlogo_Web

About Jaime Samms

Jaime has been writing for various publishers since the fall of 2008, although she’s been writing for herself far longer. Often asked, “Why men? What’s so fascinating about writing stories about men falling in love?”, she’s never come up with a clear answer.  Just that these are the stories that she loves to read, so it seemed to make sense if she was going to write, they would also be the stories she wrote.

These days, you can find plenty of free reading on her website. She also writes for Freya’s Bower, Jupiter Gardens, and Total E-Bound, Dreamspinner Press, MLR Press, and Riptide Publishing.

Spare time, when it can be found rolled into a ball at the back of the dryer or cavorting with the dust bunnies in the corners, she’s probably spending crocheting, drawing, gardening (weather permitting, of course, since she is Canadian!), or watching movies. She has a day job, as well, which she loves, and two kids, but thankfully, also a wonderful husband who shoulders more than his fair share of household and child-care responsibilities.

She graduated some time ago from college with a fine arts diploma, and a major in textile arts, which basically qualifies her to draw pictures and create things with string and fabric. One always needs an official slip of paper to fall back on after all. . .

Connect with Jamie:

Giveaway

Leave a comment for a chance to win $20 in Riptide credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 20, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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Can Love Heal? Find Out with ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ by Jo Tannah‏ (excerpt and giveaway)

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Title: The Way You Look Tonight
Author: Jo Tannah
Genre:  Gay Romance, Contemporary, May-December Romance
Series: Standards Series, Book Two
Length: Novella
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Jo Tannah here today to share her inspiration and thoughts behind her latest story, The Way You Look Tonight.  Welcome, Jo.

First of all, thank you so much, Melanie, for having me here today and for joining my first ever blog tour. You sent me specific questions about The Way You Look Tonight. I will try to answer them as best I could so do forgive me if I ramble on a bit.

The Inspiration

The Way You Look Tonight was inspired by the lyrics of a Standard song of the same title. In fact, both books in the series and the ones in the near future, will hold the titles to these songs.

The first, What A Difference A Day Makes, tells of how one man’s life changed in twenty four hours after meeting the love of his life. The story came to me while I was driving one day and was listening to Gloria Estefan’s CD titled (you got it) The Standards. The song is the third track on that album and I just loved the way she sang it. Something clicked inside me and the men came to life. I was in the middle of the highway and was distracted throughout the three hour drive. What a drive that was. You can find it in Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/What-Difference-Day-Makes-Standards-ebook/dp/B00U6DZKS8

The Jump Start

In this second instalment, The Way You Look Tonight,  Jamie looks at his lover, Miles, and sees the real man behind the coat, the frowns, the stern countenance. Their story came to me during a time when I wanted to relax and put on a Fred Astaire/ Ginger Rogers movie. There is a scene where Fred begins singing and Ginger’s face is covered in face cream and I laughed at how silly the scene played out. Then Miles’ face came to mind, and then a karaoke microphone.

I began thinking about how this song gets sung regularly wherever there is a Karaoke around. It doesn’t matter how bad one sings it, or who does, it gets sung, period. It is a Standard after all and where I come from, karaoke is practically a national pastime.

Jamie’s character is based on several people, his situation based on a real one:  a scandal that broke out here in the country more than a decade ago. It ruined many lives, including some friends and family. It was and continues to be a depressing affair, one that is unfortunately still unresolved. Truth is, even the tragedy that strikes Jamie, how he gets the news, his reaction, they’re all based on real life events.

Laughing at Fred and Ginger made me think of two men who looked past the facades and their story began. In fact, if one were to pay close attention, scattered everywhere in books one and two, the reader would be able to spot reworded lyrics of the Standard song which set the pace to the stories. It would be fun to hear from readers when they do find those hidden words and lyrics.

The Whys

This is difficult to answer. Why do I write? Writing is like reading and I have been a bookworm since as far back as a seven year old. I wrote a blog post for Divine Magazine which is also a part of this tour. There, I wrote as much as I could reveal the whys of writing and how it is such a big part of my life. If you’re curious, hop on there as I pasting the post here would take up most of this blog page and more.

Synopsis

As a member of a wealthy and influential family, Jaime “Jamie” Abello had his life mapped out. Being shipped off to LA with an insurance scam linked to his name was not part of his plan.

It had seemed so simple: pass the Philippines Medical Board Exam;practice in the family-owned and -controlled hospital; join the Board by age forty; and find a partner with whom he could settle down and be himself.

Instead, his father supplies him with a surfeit of money and dangerous secrets and sends him to a strange country.

The Pediatric Residency Program Jamie applies for brings him face to face with untouchable Program Director, Miles Kwon, whom Jamie soon finds to be a man of integrity and vision.

When tragedy strikes, Jamie finds himself falling deeper into depression. Unexpectedly, it’s Miles who helps him work through his pain.

Will Jamie ever experience a life with a loving partner, or will his father’s secrets cause him to lose everything he’s gained?
The Way You Look Tonight Cover

Buy Links

Don’t miss the Valentine’s Day Sale (February 11-22) 50% off on WIP’s website and 40% off on ARe!

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/the-way-you-look-tonight-by-jo-tannah/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BDTO4U8/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BDTO4U8/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01BDTO4U8/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B01BDTO4U8/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewayyoulooktonight-1974943-149.html

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Giveaway

Prizes: $4.99 WIP Gift Card and ebook copy of What A Difference A Day Makes by Jo Tannah.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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About the author

JO TANNAH is a wife, mother, and blogger by day, writer by night. It can be difficult to say the least but it is a challenge that keeps her on her toes.

She grew up listening to folktales her father and nannies spun to either entertain the children or send home a message. These narratives stayed with Jo until she finally decided to write them down in a journal way back when she kept one. Years later, going through junk led to finding a long forgotten box and nestled within it was the journal. Reading over the stories of romance, science fiction, and horror that she had taken time to put to paper all those years before brought to light the realization that they were tales she’d never come across in her readings.

The tales Jo write are fictional but all of them are based on what she grew up with and still dreams about. That they have an M/M twist is simply for her pleasure. And she hopes, yours as well.

Jo Tannah can be found at:

Website: http://www.jotannah.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jotannahauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jotannah

A MelanieM Review: Acts of Passion: A Jack Cade/Michael di Santo Novel of Suspense by Sedonia Guillone

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Acts of PassionWhen a man is found in his apartment, appearing to have committed hara kiri with a samurai sword, Boston Homicide Detective Jack Cade suspects more is going on than what it appears. The department’s criminal profiler has left and a new guy is taking his place. At first, Cade is skeptical of Dr. Michael Di Santo. Di Santo seems so absent-minded and too neurotic to be effective. But he is brilliant and hot and Cade finds himself falling hard and fast, both in lust and in love. The attraction is mutual, although Michael’s past demons haunt him, keeping him from getting too close. Together, they begin to unravel Michael’s emotional knots even as they close in on a killer, another brilliant, wily person whose sights are now set on Michael.

Acts of Passion by Sedonia Guillone is a novel that picks up the story of a secondary character from a previous series, Genjin/Holmes Mysteries. As Sedonia Guillone has said, she thought Michael Di Santo deserved his own HEA and gave it to him here in Acts of Passion, a layered story full of romance as well as mystery and suspense.

One element of every story and series Sedonia Guillone writes is the wounded warrior or modern samurai, and the author plays on that theme here with several devilish twists, always with a nuanced overlay of Japanese culture and samurai weaponry involved.   Do I love that about her writing?  Absolutely.  Her knowledge is impeccable, and she is able to impart that passion and love to the reader without it being a dry dump of facts.  Instead she folds it into her characters and their history beautifully, revealing itself as it should throughout the storyline.

You don’t have to have read the other series, this story works perfectly as a standalone.  Guillone supplies the back-history for Michael’s previous relationship with Toshi (the ex partner back in Japan) and for Jack Cade, the man who will capture his interest personally and at work.  I loved the interchanges between the characters, it works on every level to pull them together professionally and as men becoming interested romantically.  You will get it too because Jack Cade is such an intriguing character with his own  demons pulling at him as well.  The two men have many obstacles, not the least of which is a serial killer, to overcome, before they can more on with each other.

I thought the mystery was good (although I had guessed correctly at who the killer was) but the suspense?  Excellent.  This was seat of the pants, white knuckle grip, will they get there in time stuff.  And I love every bit of it.

I only wish the ending was stretched out a bit longer for my tastes, that would have made this perfect.

Is Sedonia Guillone a new author for you?  Grab this up and start reading?  Have a love of the Japanese culture and the samurai warrior in modern times?  Love a good thriller with a romance thrown in?  This has it all.  Then go search out her other stories.  I’ve included a link to her website below as well.  Happy reading!  I highly recommend this author and story to one and all.

Cover art by: Louca Matheo.  The cover is sexy and works well for the storyline.

Sales Links:  Amazon|BN Nook|Kobo|Google Play|AllRomance Ebooks

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 186 pages
Published January 15th 2016 by Ai Press (first published June 11th 2010)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Find out more about Sedonia Guillone at her website here: http://www.sedoniaguillone.com

Into the Fantasy World of Romance with Bailey Bradford’s ‘Dragon Dreams & Fairy Wings’ book blast and giveaway

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  • Dragon Dreams & Fairy Wings (Fire & Flutter #1) by Bailey Bradford
    Release Date: February 18 at Rainbow Ninja Press, February 25 elsewhere

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Rainbow Ninja Press
Cover Artist: Beany Sparks

Blurb

What happens when a fairy loses his wings– and his memory?

Griff was born a Love fairy, but he never quite fit in. He didn’t want to be part of a harem, at least…he didn’t think he wanted that. What with his wings gone and his memory damaged, he can’t be certain of what he felt in the past. All he does know is, he wants his wings back. Without them, he’s grounded.

Blaze is a dragon shifter who tends to stick his foot in his mouth…and some other parts in other places…when he really shouldn’t. His brother is the king, and his sister-in-law Bonny is scary. Blaze’s last screw-up got him grounded, unable to shift into his dragon form. His punishment seems harsh to him, but there’s no escaping it.

Then the Love fairies come to the castle to work on forming an alliance. Blaze has about had it with guarding the horny beings, and he’s disappointed that they don’t stay small and cute. He almost commits a major faux-pas when he swats at something buzzing him, and it turns out to be a fairy on a dragonfly.

And from that snarky meeting, something wonderful, and dangerous, will come.

 

Pages or Words: 58,600 words
Categories: Erotica, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance, Shifters (Dragon)

Excerpt

Blaze was disappointed as all Hades. The fairies weren’t little all the time. They were tiny when they came in, but quickly morphed to regular sized beings, if not taller than most of the dragons when the dragons were in the two-legged form.

And holy dragon balls, Blaze did not know why anyone would want a harem! Okay, well, there was the sex, and lots of it, probably, but so far there’d been more bickering and outright fighting than anything sexy! He’d had to break up six altercations, and the fairies had only been in their accommodations for an hour!

This was going to be a long, suck-ass assignment.

The fairies sure were beautiful, though. Granted, he hadn’t seen each and every one of them. He’d seen the king, and some of the harem members. Every one of them was gorgeous, delicate-featured, lithe, and limber—that last one might not be true, but he was going to go with it, because… hot! Bendy fairies… Blaze adjusted his cock before it could pop up and embarrass him. He wondered if maybe, because they were Love fairies, they had special powers of attraction and such. He’d been fighting down boners ever since he’d been brought out to meet the Love fairy king, Artaxis.

Not that Artaxis even gave him a cursory glimpse. Blaze didn’t blame him. Artaxis was beautiful, like all the fairies Blaze had seen so far, and Blaze was… Well, there was nothing delicate about a dragon’s features, that was for sure. And lithe might apply to some of the other dragons in differing warrens, but not in any Blaze knew of.

With Blaze’s shocking orange hair and bronze skin… and freckles, another thing that was a burden to bear. How many times when he’d been a child had he been teased about having shit splatters on his face? Was it any wonder at all that he hated his human form? At least his scales made the freckles unnoticeable for the most part when he was a dragon. And Blaze was forever scarred from being told his freckles were caused by watching other creatures using the dragon dumping grounds. That was also the cause for styes in the eyes, according to old dragons’ tales.

Blaze had never in his life had a sty, and he’d maybe, sorta accidentally, seen an orc once in the dumping grounds. If anything was going to give someone a sty, that should have done it.

Blaze smacked himself on the forehead. Why did his mind spin around to such stupid thoughts?

Well, it’d curbed his arousal. He hoped the fairies weren’t going to hang around long. He didn’t need the struggle with his dick, and he sure didn’t need the blow to his ego—so far, none of the fairies had acknowledged him or even looked at him unless he was breaking up a fight involving them. Even then, he didn’t think he registered as more than a big, lumbering weirdo.

He watched a dozen fairies walk toward the baths. They were so pale and pretty, and that long hair was amazing. Then he realized something wonderful. They were naked!

It was wonderful because there were so many gorgeous naked fairies. Yet it was horrible, too, because he was never going to have blood anywhere else but in his cock again unless he got some sort of control over his libido. When the fairies’ hair swung just right, he saw glimpses of nicely rounded buttocks.

Blaze groaned and closed his eyes. He couldn’t look. He’d end up taking his shaft out right there and jacking himself to completion, and he didn’t have to think about it to know that wouldn’t go over well with Fyre or Bonny.

He had to leave the hall next to the harem rooms, where he’d been standing, waiting for the next fight to break out. Blaze couldn’t wait for more naked fairies to come out. He’d lose it and yeah, end up being grounded for a century.

It was easy to slip away, outside, into the heat of the sunlight. Blaze bit his lip until it hurt bad enough to kill his arousal. He was really going to have to get it together—if he could just figure out what it was.

A strange sound reached his ears. It was a fluttering, buzzing sound. He turned his head and frowned when he saw a gold-gilded dragonfly buzzing toward the entrance of the secondary palace where the fairies were staying.

Contrary to popular belief, dragons didn’t look at dragonflies as cute little relatives. They looked at them as bugs.

Blaze raised a hand to swat it away when it was within reach.

Buy the book:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BK0GKWU

http://www.rainbowninjapress.com/Dragon-Dreams-Fairy-Wings

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28951311-dragon-dreams-and-fairy-wings

Early release 18th Feb

General release 25th Feb

Meet the author:

These things always give me fits. Basically, I am an author of erotic romance. Besides being an author, I am a mother, a grandmother, a wife, and a combination of many other things that make my life joyous day in and day out. Unless someone swipes my coffee. Then it gets pretty ugly quickly.

Where to find the author:

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Tour Dates & Stops: February 18, 2016

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, V’s Reads, Bonkers About Books, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Full Moon Dreaming, Decadent Delights, Unquietly Me, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Velvet Panic, BFD Book Blog, Happily Ever Chapter, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Open Skye Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, Nephy Hart, Dawn’s Reading Nook, MM Good Book Reviews, The Jena Wade, Inked Rainbow Reads, Kirsty Loves Books

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Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: PDF copy of ‘Dragon Dreams & Fairy Wings’ by Bailey Bradford.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Melanie Hansen on How to Throw a Anti-Valentine’s Day Party & Love and the Exorcism (author guest post)

Love and the Exorcism

Love and the Exorcism by Melanie Hansen
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist Bree Archer

Goodreads Link

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Melanie Hansen here today to share her thoughts, delicious as they are, about Valentine’s Day, how to throw a anti-Valentine’s Day party, and some thoughts on her story, Love and the Exorcism.  Welcome, Melanie.

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If you’re like me, Valentine’s Day might not be one of your favorite holidays.  Maybe you’ve been with your significant other for a long time and nobody cares, or you’re single and nobody cares, or—like my character Suzanne in my new short story Love and the Exorcism—you’ve just gone through a painful breakup and you don’t want to care.  No matter how we each feel about Valentine’s Day, it’s over, and we’ve all survived it another year…

Discount chocolate for the win!

If for some reason you find yourself on the outs with Valentine’s Day again next year, consider throwing an Anti-Valentine’s Day party like Suzanne did in my story.  It was cathartic for her, and bonus, it brought my heroes, Tom and Mario, together!

Here is Suzanne’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Ex-orcism in all its glory, drink recipes and all.

If you’re a Valentine’s Day hater too, enjoy!

Suzanne’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Party

First, send out some invites that will really get the point across:

When the big day finally arrives, decorate accordingly…

…and greet your guests with some theme music!

“Love Stinks”

“Love Hurts”

“I Will Survive”

“What’s Love Got to Do With It”

“Heartbreak Hotel”

Have some treats out for everyone to nibble on…

…and put out some plain sugar cookies and frosting for everyone to decorate with their own anti-sentiment!

(Don’t forget the severed head cake pops!)

While all this is going on, have a variety of the all-important alcoholic beverages available.  Suzanne’s favorites, plus recipes, are below!

Adios Motherfucker

Ingredients:

½ oz. Vodka
½ oz. Rum
½ oz. Tequila
½ oz.  Gin
½ oz. Blue Curacao liqueur
2 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
2 oz. Lemon/Lime Soda
1 Maraschino cherry
1 Lemon slice

Preparation:

  • Pour all ingredients except soda in chilled glass filled with ice cubes. Top with soda and stir gently. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and lemon slice.

Cupid’s Broken Arrow

Ingredients:

3 oz. Mango Vodka (We used Three-O Mango Vodka)
½ oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. Cranberry juice
Splash of Lime juice
1 Cherry

Preparation:

  • Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.
  • As an ice breaker for shy guests, or just to have some fun, consider offering these party games and crafts while everyone is still somewhat sober:

Broken Heart Bingo – Before your guests arrive, create grids with boxes. Write a statement in each box. Some suggestions of statements you can use:

  • “I have never received a dozen roses.”
  • “I still own an old engagement ring.”
  • “I’m still friends with my ex.”
  • “I have had 2 different dates on the same Valentine’s Day.”
  • “I’m still sleeping with my ex.”
  • “I have never had a date on Valentine’s Day.”
  • “I love Valentine’s Day.”
  • “I think Valentine’s Day is a stupid holiday.”

Put the same phrases in a different order on each grid. As guests arrive, put each person’s name in a bag. Then tell everyone to wander around the party and find people to sign each square that holds true for the person signing. After everyone has quite a few signatures, start drawing names out of the bag. The first person to have 5 names in a row is the winner!

Bitter Arts & Crafts – Make sure that everyone coming to the party brings pictures of an ex. (If not everyone has pictures, I’m sure that some people have more than one picture, and will be willing to share). Invest in some permanent markers and create “art” on your ex with the markers. Give them titles like, “My Ex Without Me,” or “Without Makeup.” Another fun activity is to write out your ex’s full name, and create an acronym. For example:

  • Clown-like
  • Rude
  • Ignorant
  • Lazy

Everyone can share their artwork with the rest of the guests! A prize should be awarded for the best work of art.

I think it’s pretty obvious by now that I’m not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day, but I am a huge fan of happily ever afters, and I’m so glad that Valentine’s Day brought Tom and Mario to theirs.

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Blurb

Tom Hannity is not boring, despite what his ex-boyfriend says.  He loves his circle of family and friends and finds peace in the beauty of flower arranging.  Still stinging from his recent breakup, Tom attends an Anti-Valentine’s Day “Ex-orcism,” hoping for some fun and forgetfulness.

 Mario Tellez is tired of party boys, and he’s had his eye on Tom for a while.  When they run into each other at the Ex-orcism, sparks fly, until an accidentally overheard conversation drives Tom to do something he normally doesn’t do.

What should have been a hot and fun night turns into Tom and Mario seeing each other at their absolute worst, although surprisingly, it brings out the best in them, too.  Navigating around the toxic people in their lives isn’t easy, and after a small series of bumps in the road, they finally come around full circle… to Valentine’s Day and laying old demons to rest.

Buy Link:  Dreamspinner Press eBook

About the Author

Mel

Melanie Hansen has spent time in Texas and Florida prisons…for work.   She’s been in a room with a 17-year-old mass murderer who was also one of the most soft-spoken and polite teenagers she’s ever met.  After a 13-year career as a court reporter, she can tell many stories both hilarious and heartbreaking.

She grew up with an Air Force dad, and ended up marrying a Navy man.  After living and working all over the country, she hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to her stories about people finding love amidst real-life struggles.

Melanie left the stressful world of the courtroom behind and now enjoys a rewarding career transcribing for a deaf student.  She currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

Love Science Fiction and Romance? Check out Scardust by Suzanne van Rooyen (giveaway)

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SCARDUST
by Suzanne van Rooyen
Publication Date: February 8, 2016
Genres: New Adult, Gay, LGBT, Science Fiction, Romance

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PURCHASE: Amazon | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | PRINT | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

SYNOPSIS: Dead Rock, Texas, 2037

Raleigh Williams made a promise to his brother before he died, that he’d scatter his ashes on Mars. Desperate to leave a life of bad memories behind and start over in the Martian colony, Raleigh fully intends to keep that promise. But his plans are thwarted when a meteor near-misses him in the desert, and Raleigh finds in its crater not debris or even a spacecraft, but a man covered in swirling scars and with no memory of who he is. At least he looks like a man—a man Raleigh can’t seem to keep his eyes off of—but whenever they touch it ignites a memory swap between them.

Raleigh agrees to help Meteor Man piece together his life through their cosmic connection. But the memory share goes both ways, and Raleigh becomes inexplicably entangled with a guy who is everything he needs—everything good that Raleigh is not—but might not even be human. As their minds and worlds collide, reality unravels and Raleigh must face a painful truth, one that could shatter his dreams of finding love, reaching Mars, and fulfilling his brother’s last wish.

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ABOUT SUZANNE VAN ROOYEN

Suzanne van Rooyen

Suzanne is a tattooed storyteller from South Africa. She currently lives in Sweden and is busy making friends with the ghosts of her Viking ancestors. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When she grows up, she wants to be an elf – until then, she spends her time (when not writing) wall climbing, buying far too many books, and entertaining her shiba inu, Lego.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

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A Ali Review: Spirit by John Inman (audio version), John Anthony Davis (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

SpiritAUDLGJason Day, brilliant designer of video games, is not only a confirmed bachelor, but he’s as gay as a maypole. One wouldn’t think being saddled with his precocious four-year-old nephew for four weeks would be enough to throw him off-kilter. 

Wrong. Timmy, Jason’s nephew, is a true handful. 

But just when Timmy and Uncle Jason begin to bond, and Jason feels he’s getting a grip on this babysitting business once and for all, he’s thrown for a loop by a couple of visitors—one from Tucson, the other from beyond the grave. 

I’m sorry. Say what? 

Toss a murder, a hot young stud, an unexpected love affair, and a spooky-ass ghost with a weird sense of humor into Jason’s summer plans, and you’ve got the makings for one hell of a ride. 

This was an enjoyable story with both a mystery and a paranormal twist. The main character Jason is a likable MC and his narration is filled with humor. I didn't find the child very realistic or age appropriate in his behaviors but he was an entertaining twist to the story so I overlooked most of that. I found the end to be predictable but it was one of those stories that still warms your heart so again, I overlooked that too. The story is creative and has a lovely happily ever after at the end. I did this on audio and enjoyed the narrator. He had a nice voice and did all of the different characters well, including the child. I think this will entertain even those who don't typically like paranormal stories as the ghost part doesn't overwhelm.

Cover art by Reece Dante. I like this cover a lot. I think it is a really good representation of the story. It's just spooky enough to draw you in.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

NarratorJohn Anthony Davis
Length6 hours and 47 minutes

Get In on the Beginning of Hot, New 5-Part series with Trainwreck (Trainwreck #1) by Michele Micheal Rakes (guest interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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Trainwreck (Trainwreck #1) by Michele Micheal Rakes 
Release Date: January 25, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Michele Micheal Rakes

Cover Artist: Drai Bearwomyn
Cover Photography by Dan Skinner
Editing: Tina Adamski

 

Today Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Michele Micheal “Mikey” Rakes, author of (Trainwreck, here today. Hi,Mikey, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

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All my friends know me as Mikey, but I write under my full name so my mother can be proud of me. I’ve written other books for Loose Id: Saving Kane, Fourth and Long, and I’m working on the two follow up books for those stories. Trainwreck was written in six months toward the end of getting my degree in surgical technology, back in 2010. Took a while to get these guys out there for readers.

  • Tell us about your book.

Trainwreck was the first book I completed and was my 1,111 page 380,000 word opus. Hehehe. Well, I decided to break it up into five parts because I thought it might be easier for readers to digest during work breaks and whatnot…all those places we like to squeeze in some reading(i.e. the bathroom). Trainwreck is more about Vince than any of the other characters, but it is a polyamorous romance as well as a crime thriller. Vincent Sweetwater is a LAPD detective who is returning to work after a motorcycle accident. The murder of a young girl propels him back into a world he used to frequent, to catch a killer, but also solve the mystery of his childhood. He is living with his estranged wife and he’s living a lie. This is a dark novel. A story of one man struggling through the pain of his past and the dismal reality of his present until circumstances give him another chance at happiness.

  • How difficult was it to get into the main character’s head?

Not terribly difficult to get inside Vincent Sweetwater’s head, because so much of me is in that character. Greg Dunne was difficult at times because he is as vulnerable as Vince, yet he is the more dominant character.

  • Is this book a standalone or do you plan on visiting it again?

Trainwreck’s a five part series that I plan to have all released by June. The other parts are in various stages of edit. A sequel has already been written, as well, called Surviving Adam. I plan on releasing that next year.

  • Why did you choose to write M/M stories?

I prefer M/M stories, but Trainwreck is a poly romance. Book One is M/F. In Book Two, there are elements of sadomasochism, and M/M. Book Three is where the poly begins and more of the submission dynamic comes into play. Trainwreck began as a romance novel where the hero and heroine were already on the first of divorce. Vince began to whisper in my ear about his sexual proclivities and so told me he was more than a womanizer. I simply let Vince tell his story. His sexuality confusion and his need to know what is locked up in his mind. This is very much a psychological thriller as well as a romance.

  • Where do you find your inspiration?

 

I find my inspiration in a number of places. Saving Kane was inspired by a real case where a gay man was lured into a gang rape and robbery. Garrett has his hero/love interest was all me. I took inspiration for Fourth and Long from my love of football. Trainwreck stems from my gender issues and also a catharsis for my own issues. I always have this need for dragging characters through the muck and mire before handing them a happy ending. In my opinion, there’s enough sad endings in real life, I don’t want to write one. My wife passed away in October of last year. My husband and I are still coming to terms with the fact our poly is over before it really got started. I never dreamed Mary would die so young. We had plans. Trainwreck is being released because she loved this book and I promised her to grab my balls and put it out here for all the readers willing to take a chance on what she called a wild ride.

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Blurb

Detective Sergeant Vincent Sweetwater hates dead bodies. That’s why he’s an undercover narc and not a homicide dick. So why is he standing on a sandy beach in California staring at a lifeless body—oh yeah, the suicide attempt. Lieutenant Hanson is making a statement. Something about life worth living. Shows what he knows.

As Vince examines the tortured body, he feels an empathy and déjà vu for the victim, her wounds are similar to scars he has only a vague memory receiving. An intense desire to find her killer fills his queasy belly as a dark game of cat and mouse begins.

The young woman’s death forces Vince back into a secret life dominated by sex, perversion, and sadomasochism. Estranged from his wife he still loves and longing for the man who possessed him once, Vince buries his torment deep inside meaningless sex.

*Warning: This book contains adult content and situations. NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH.

 

Pages or Words: 374 pages
Categories: BDSM, Bisexual, Crime Fiction, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance, Thriller

Excerpt:

Vince grabbed the remote and clicked on the news. He paid little attention as he rubbed his aching hip. When Lola Romero began her news report he glanced up to see an official photo of himself in uniform.

“Jesus, talk about an old fucking picture.”

Despite being only twenty-three in the photo, he hadn’t appeared young and fresh faced. His eyes had held a kind of darkness even then, and his best efforts were unable to hide the pain.

“An L.A.P.D. Information officer confirmed the return to duty of Detective Vincent Sweetwater just one week after a horrifying display of violence toward a man who was reportedly beating his five-year-old son in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Inglewood. Detective Sweetwater was nearly killed last year in a motorcycle accident on the Pacific Coast Highway and is still under scrutiny following alleged misconduct while under deep cover with the narcotics division.”

“Bite me, Lola.” Vince shut off the TV, flopping back on the bed, staring into the darkness.

“Fuck my life. It was more than a year ago. Bitch.”

I hate people.

 

Buy the book: Amazon

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Meet the author:

Michele Micheal Rakes lives in a small town in the shadow of a big mountain and works as a surgical technologist assisting in the removal of tonsils and testicles. Three grown children, a one year old granddaughter named Thrasher, two psychotic Egyptian Mau’s, a husband with hair down to his knees, an Amazon for a wife, two Harley’s, and a ferret named Teeny Tiny Ferret Feet (husband insists her name Little Feet, we all know he’s wrong) life is gets pretty wild.

Note: Wife recently passed away from cancer and this book is dedicated in loving memory of Mary Louise Castleman. Love you babe!

Where to find the author:


Tour Dates & Stops:

17-Feb Book Lovers 4Ever, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

24-Feb Love Bytes, Mikky’s World of Books

2-Mar Full Moon Dreaming, Man2ManTastic, Bonkers About Books, Bayou Book Junkie

9-Mar    BFD Book Blog, Velvet Panic, My Fiction Nook, Gay Media Reviews, The Novel Approach

16-Mar   Happily Ever Chapter, Hearts on Fire

23-Mar  Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Three Books Over The Rainbow

30-Mar Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, KathyMac Reviews

6-Apr Havan Fellows, Jessie G. Books

13-Apr Cathy Brockman Romances, Inked Rainbow Reads

20-Apr Divine Magazine, Prism Book Alliance

27-Apr Molly Lolly

4-May Dawn’s Reading Nook

11-May Alpha Book Club

18-May MM Good Book Reviews

25-May Louise Lyons

1-Jun Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Three separate prizes: $15 GC, A copy of Trainwreck, Saving Kane/Fourth and Long gift pack.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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When Loss Turns to Love…Grein Murray’s ‘Capturing Oliver’ (excerpt and giveaway)

1 Capturing Oliver E-Book Cover


Release Date: February 5, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Grein Murray
Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis  

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Blurb

Oliver seems to be settling into his new life after losing his parents. With an apartment and college to pay for on his own, Oliver works hard to make ends meet. A handsome Italian man who comes to the restaurant Oliver works at has caught his eye. The man not only makes Oliver nervous but excited at the same time.

One night changes everything yet again for Oliver; his world is turned upside down. Could being at the wrong place at the wrong time actually turn out to be the best thing to happen to Oliver or the worst?

 

Pages or Words: 156 pages
Categories: Gay fiction, Romance

Excerpt

“I’m so sorry, Oliver.” Amondo pulled Oliver’s wrist to his mouth and kissed the red marks that encircled them. “I’ve never been that turned on before. I was too rough.” A sad look took some of the sparkle out of Amondo’s eyes.

“It was perfect, Amondo. Don’t apologize. I’ve never felt anything like that before. I’m okay.”

Amondo took Oliver’s face gently in his hands and kissed him. Then he rolled so Oliver was laying on his chest. “I’ve wanted to do that from the first day I saw you.”

Buy the book:  Amazon

Meet the author:

When I’m not writing I like going to concerts. Music is a big part of my life, I’ve played bass guitar since I was a teen. I love nature and enjoy hiking and working with causes that help protect our planet and wild animals.

I have loved books all of my life and have always enjoyed escaping the ordinary world by getting lost in a good book. I read a lot of different genres of books but have fallen in love with MM. I support the gay community and hope one day people will see that love is love and that it is a beautiful thing no matter your gender, race or religion.

I am an avid animal lover and have quite a collection of pets in my home. I love ancient history and have studied Alexander the Great as well as Egypt and it’s pharaohs. I also am very interested in angels and have researched them and will put that to use in future books.

I hope that my readers continue to fall in love with my characters and that my stories touch their lives and bring them happiness.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops: February 17, 2016

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Velvet Panic, Full Moon Dreaming, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Book Escape, My Fiction Nook, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Jessie G. Books, Iyana Jenna, Charley Descoteaux, Unquietly Me, Molly Lolly, MM Good Book Reviews, Alpha Book Club, Kirsty Loves Books, Mikky’s World of Books, Man2ManTastic

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $5.00 Amazon gift card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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Its all Romance and Killers with ‘Conversation Hearts’ by Avon Gale (excerpt and giveaway)

Conversation Hearts

Conversation Hearts by Avon Gale
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist Aaron Anderson

Release Date: February 10, 2016
Goodreads Link

 

Blurb

It’s Valentine’s Day, and grad student–and male escort–Levi Barron expects to spend his evening with a client who’s paying him for his services in bed… not an assassin who needs to borrow the view from his hotel room in the morning.

With nothing to do but endure the company of his unwanted guest, Levi and the assassin, Sinjin, spend some time bonding over HGTV, minibar beverages, Flannery O’Connor short stories, terrible Valentine’s candy, and the necessity of lying about their jobs.

Their evening takes an unexpected turn when they decide to indulge in their mutual attraction, and in the morning Levi doesn’t know if he’s spent the night with a hired killer or a hydraulic engineer with a very specific fantasy. Either way, the two have enough chemistry–in and out of bed–that Levi isn’t sure one night with Sinjin will be enough.

And a message left in candy suggests the feeling is mutual.

Buy Links:

Excerpt

IF GIVEN a choice, Levi Barron would definitely prefer to have been stood up, rather than have a gun pointed at his head.

His client for the evening was already two hours late, and just when it looked like Levi would be spending Valentine’s Day reading some poorly articulated thoughts of college freshmen about Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, he heard the unmistakable sound of a door opening. Levi put a bit more Southern in his Georgia accent as he went to meet his client—only to find himself greeting the business end of a gun.

“Well,” the guy said, sighing. “This is awkward.”

Levi couldn’t seem to breathe. He’d heard stories about this kind of thing happening (and he’d maybe, once or twice, watched a few similar-yet-sexy versions of this exact scenario on RedTube), but the reason Levi’s agency rented a room in a luxury hotel in downtown Nashville wasn’t just for client comfort.

It was also so that Levi and his colleagues didn’t end up robbed or sold into sex slavery.

“I don’t have any money,” Levi said immediately, raising his hands even though the man hadn’t told him to do anything with them. “The agency handles all of the financial transactions. Even, uh, gratuity.”

That Levi was a poor graduate student in American Literature being robbed at gunpoint was sort of hilariously depressing.

The guy lowered the gun. “What? I’m not here to rob you, for fuck’s sake.”

Oh God. Suddenly being a sex slave didn’t sound as appealing as those videos implied it would be. “Are you going to kidnap me and sell me to a sex dungeon?”

Worst. Valentine’s. Day. Ever.

“Are those actually real? I thought they just existed on RedTube.” The gunman, dressed in black with equally dark hair and eyes, looked kind of like Edgar Allan Poe. Only without the creepy mustache.

Levi couldn’t believe this was really happening. At some point he expected cameras and a television reveal, followed in a few days by an uncomfortable meeting with the English department about his choice in part-time jobs.

“Are you going to kill me?”

The man grimaced. “I’d rather not. Look, I just need to borrow the window for a few minutes in the morning. No reason anyone has to die.” The man paused. “Anyone other than the… never mind.” He set something down on the ground. Either the guy was going to pull a violin out of there and serenade Levi, or it was a rifle case.

Rifle case. Windows. Gun. Shady guy dressed in black, skulking around and breaking into hotel rooms.

Levi’s uninvited guest was an assassin.

“You’re going to kill someone on Valentine’s Day?” Levi made a face, even as he backed away and glanced anxiously toward the window. “That’s awful. What are you, evil Cupid?”

“Technically I’m not going to kill anyone until tomorrow,” quoth the raven. His voice went flat and cold. “But if you keep asking me questions, I might change my mind. Now sit down and let me think.”

Levi sat.

About the Author

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Avon Gale wrote her first story at the age of seven, about a “Space Hat” hanging on a rack and waiting for that special person to come along and purchase it — even if it was a bit weirder than the other, more normal hats. Like all of Avon’s characters, the space hat did get its happily ever after — though she’s pretty sure it was with a unicorn. She likes to think her vocabulary has improved since then, but the theme of quirky people waiting for their perfect match is still one of her favorites.

Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert and will never say no to candy.

At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.

Find Avon:

@Facebook||   @avongalewrites.com||  @twitter || bourbon and candy (avon’s mailing list)

Giveaway

Win a copy of Conversation Hearts!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Dreamspinner Press

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