Category: Uncategorized

A Mika Review: The Bruise-Black Sky (More Heat Than the Sun #5) by John Wiltshire

Rating:  4 star out of 5 stars 

The Bruise Black Sky coverBen usually overlooks Nikolas’s occasionally jarring dissonance. Not this time. A deep rift, a terrible lie, separates them. Eleven thousand miles from Nikolas, in New Zealand, it’s bitter winter as Ben films the tragic story of a post-apocalyptic gladiator, a victim of his own personal darkness. But on receiving a death threat, Ben suspects the truth of actor Oliver Whitestone’s suicide. Someone doesn’t want this movie made. It’s fortunate for Ben, therefore, that dissonance is a state of unrest, a longing for completion. As if Nikolas would stay at home in disgrace while Ben Rider-Mikkelsen becomes the target of a crazed stalker

Talk about secrets! Wow! Everyone is keeping a secret in this book. I thought this was one of the funniest books out the series. Nik was hilarious. Nik who obviously doesn’t think he is good with kids is sadly mistaken. This kid Miles astounded me. Him and Nik was so good together. In my hopeless mind I was picturing Nik with a son. HAH, I have this warm gooey feeling about him doing well. I hope I see Miles in future books. He was adorably cute. This picks up a year or two later from the last book. As usual something drastic happens for Nik to go back to Aleskey Special Forces Nik! Ha, I said it. He went full metal jacket. Ben who has his memories back is back to being Ben kind of. I felt like it was something off with him. I get it now reading the book. As usual they have their couple spats, and one does this wrong, and the other go pouts. This book, they were not playing around with each other. I mean, some indifferences had my heart beating wondering, if this was it. Could Nik do anything ever so awful that Ben would leave him? It’s a couple things in this book, that’s awful, but I find myself always forgiving Nik. I’m a complete tosser for Nik!

Nik and Ben in AMERICA! It was funny from their view point. Nik loves Ben with everything he has, and I think like every other book so far he shows it. He might not have the words, but his actions speak extremely louder than anything else. Of course we got to see Emilia, and her grandmother, as well as a few other familiar faces. I enjoyed them. I liked the plot as well. I really liked when Nik met with the police lady, it was family because they were both being stoic to each other. It was parts that was slow to me, and other parts I was intrigued by. I will continue reading this series because I love them. The shocking revelations in the book had me like WTF. That last 25% was the best ever! I can’t wait until the next book is out.

Cover Art by Deana Jamroz.  Now that I’ve had time to read it, I understand the cover. I don’t like it or dislike it really. It’s okay and continues with the type of cover of the previous books.

Sales Links:  MLR Press |  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 294 pages
Published March 19th 2015 by ManLove Romance Press

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Christmas (Red Dirt, #3.5) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

ReddirtheartChristmas1500Travis had been here at Sutton Station for just over a year. We were technically engaged, not that we’d told anyone. He was happy just knowin’ I’d said yes, and I had some head-clearin’ stuff to work through. Knowing I was good enough for Trav was one thing, but knowing if I was good enough to be a husband and father was somethin’ else entirely.

Life at Sutton Station had never been better. Business was strong, Trudy and Bacon’s little baby, Gracie, was a few weeks old now and as cute as a button, Ma’s health was good, and my relationship with Laura and Sam was in a pretty good place. And Travis? Well, life with him was still all kinds of perfect.

But, to Travis’s dismay, Christmas at the Station was just another day. Another day of getting up before the sun, feeding animals, fixin’ what needed fixin’, and checking water troughs all while tryin’ to keep out of the blistering heat.

And this year weren’t much different. Only that it was Travis’s first Sutton Station Christmas. The fact we didn’t go all out with decorations and celebrations baffled him, and if I was bein’ truthful, it disappointed him too.

Which was why I had to make it a special kind of Christmas…

When I first starting reading the Red Dirt Heart series by N.R. Walker, it didn’t take long before I was deeply and permanently in love with every part of Sutton Station, the men, the way of life, even the wildlife from the deadly to the adorable (see one particular wombat).  And at book four, I felt so much a part of their lives that it was painful to see it end, albeit happily and with satisfaction.

So imagine my surprise and delight when I heard that N.R. Walker had returned to red dirt country and the Sutton Station to bring us Red Dirt Christmas.  Yes, I was overjoyed.  Charlie and Travis were coming back for Christmas.  Was it the Christmas present I hoped for?

Well, if it wasn’t it was close.  Red Dirt Christmas takes place before the fourth book, so quite a few events haven’t occurred.  But in many respects we get the best of the story threads.  Charlie’s mother and brother are here. along with Ma and George, Trudy, Bacon and little Gracie and a certain wombat I never get enough of.  Charlie and Travis, one of my favorite couples, are as close as ever  even as Travis is fighting a case of the Christmas blues and homesickness.  It seems that Charlie and Sutton Station don’t really celebrate Christmas and Travis is missing the way his family decorates with all the American trimmings.

To say any more would tempt me to head into spoiler territory.  But what follows is tender, full of laughter and family, and of course, love.  N. R. Walker doesn’t forget to leave out the dangers of living in such a extreme climate and geographical location.  There is an encounter with one of the area’s venomous wildlife as well as one more element to be aware of during their “winter” season, one so costly it was a little scary there for a while for a main character.  All these threads flowing  beautifully through a story I never wanted to end.

Red Dirt Christmas is full of  scenes real, vivid and heartfelt, the people inside were back to feeling like old friends revisited, even when Charlie and Travis where feeling frisky and hot,  it was sexy, warm and loving.  I hope we can talk N.R. Walker back  into these short stories, small glimpses into the Sutton Station from time to time so we can check in on everyone.  There’s Australia Day, Roundup,  Give A Wombat a Hug day…I don’t care.  Any excuse will do.  N.R. Walker, are you listening?  This was wonderful, now can we please have some more?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Red Dirt Heart series, what a treat is in store for you.  I have listed them all at the bottom.  I highly recommend them all as must reads for readers of M/M romance.  Like the red dirt of the Northern Territory, this Station and this couple will get into your heart and never let go.

Happy Reading.

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Must Read Series any time of the year:

Red Dirt Heart Series:

Sales Links: |All Romance eBooks | Smashwords |  Amazon | Buy It Here

Coffee Sip and Book Break with DC Juris’ ‘137 Owens Street’ (excerpt and contest)

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137 Owens Street by DC Juris
 Release Date: December 16, 2015

Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Blurb

Matthew is going insane. How else can he explain remembering things he doesn’t own or trips his wife never took? Not to mention the visions, and the phantom in the café. But when the man in the visions reaches out to him with an explanation, and the phantom from the café tracks him down, things start to make a little more sense.

Morgan is a devout Christian. He believes in God, Heaven, Hell, and the Bible. But his world spins out of control when his husband Matthew disappears and a mysterious man tells a tale outside the realm of reality. How can Morgan put his faith in something so far-fetched? And what will happen to Matthew if he doesn’t?

Previously published by Breathless Press.

 

Pages or Words: 16,400 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Religious Theme, Sweet Romance

Excerpt

A burst of white light surrounded him, and he held his hand up against the glare reflecting from his car. His red car. Not the black one he’d gotten into this morning. He’d known something was off when he’d cranked it up, but hadn’t been able to place what. Now he knew—the color wasn’t right. He took a step toward the car, and a pair of arms encircled his waist from behind.

“Come back to me!” a soft, deep voice pleaded against his ear.

Matthew turned as quickly as he could, but the light and the man had vanished. He closed his eyes and leaned back against his once-again-black car, his heart hammering, his throat thick with emotions he didn’t understand. He’d recognized that voice the moment he’d heard it, yet now he couldn’t place it. Now his mind relegated it to the hazy depths of forgotten things, like half-remembered tunes that went like da-da-da-da-da-something…la-la…and nebulous gray snatches of faces from childhood. But in that moment, he’d known, and he’d thrilled in it. The voice had evoked a response from him so intense and swift, like suddenly finding something he’d been missing for years in some random place he’d looked a million times.

He wondered what the speaker had meant. Come back to me. He looked around quickly, cleared his throat, and straightened his clothes. Thankfully, no one else had seen…whatever had just happened. He took a deep breath and headed back into the office. So he was having visions of a different color car and hearing a mysterious voice. That didn’t make him crazy. At least, not if he kept it all to himself.

He went back into the building, to his office, and stopped in the doorway. Where was his Chinese dragon? He distinctly remembered buying a print of a colorful Chinese dragon and hanging it right there on the opposite wall. Right where anyone could see it from the hallway. Or…had he? Matthew walked over to the wall. No picture hanger. No hole. Had he dreamed the piece of art too?

Buy the book:  Torquere Books

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Meet the Author

Romance author, sci-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer, reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we’re talking about DC Juris. She’s a cupcake making, football watching, rubber duck collecting, drag show loving, full of fabulous with a Capital F kinda gal. She’s also an Ordained Minister and an amateur photographer. She lives in Upstate NY with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair

watching “Star Trek” and “Supernatural” repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er…research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Full Moon Dreaming, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Bayou Book Junkie, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Happily Ever Chapter, Sassygirl Books, Jessie G. Books, Nephy Hart, Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, The Hat Party, Book Lovers 4Ever, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kirsty Loves Books, MM Good Book Reviews

 

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘137 Owens Street’ by DC Juris.  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 Sammy Review: Unbound, Unbroken (In His Arena #2) by Nasia Maksima

Rating: 2.75 rounded up to 3 stars out of 5

Unbound UnbrokenDawn had broken hot over the Empress’s Grand Amphitheatre, and despite cooler winds coming in from the northern countries, the theatre itself held the day’s heat as though it meant to drive its occupants mad with fever. Still, the masses crowded the stands, drawn by fantastical Spectacles, each more gruesome and gory.

Titian is part of a bonded pair, a pair in which he is forced to be the submissive. But submissiveness is not Titian’s nature. Every bone in his body screams for dominance, but each gladiator has a role to play in the Arena, and that is his.

His opposite, Galadros is also one part of a pair. He, the stronger, desires to be dominated. But a gladiator of his stature and with his goals can not afford to bend for anyone.

That is until Alession works his magic to bind them together in an effort to create a tragic puppet show for the beautiful and feared empress. He’s failed once before. If he fails again, he will be met with no mercy.

“Do not regret. Every man makes his choices in the theatre. Some are right; some are wrong. Fewer can be taken back.”

In all honesty, I am slightly irritated with this book. For much of it, I felt like I was reading the first book over again. Situations were tweaked slightly, but the story of Galadros and Titian very much mirrored that of Lucan and Hektor. I was hoping for something different within the same world, as I think most people would with a sequel, but I didn’t get it. This aspect had the biggest impact on the rating, but that’s not to say that there weren’t good parts of the book.

Hidden in the background behind the mirrored story is a bit more of the plot. Alession is again the ultimate villain, but I really enjoyed getting to see him. There’s more to him than meets the page, and I appreciate that. He’s depraved and completely amoral, but I’d expect nothing less of him. I also want to know what is going on with the empress, and for this little hidden plot I will likely continue to read the series.

The author also does a really nice job of describing battle and some of the darker aspects of the story. House Menelaus and the Grotesqueries were incredibly alluring and sickening (though I kept picturing a giant squid for the last one, which didn’t really frighten me). And the sex, for the most part, is pretty hot and heavy, though some of the dirty talk borders on eye roll-worthy for me. I think the author would be benefited from cutting down on some parts of the stories and focusing on the point of the book.

Still, I will read the next book, if only to know more about Alession and the empress.

The cover art by Fiona Jayde Media is fitting for the story and how I’d picture Titian. My own quibble is that I swear the book says that Titian never wore his helm. Hm.

Sales Links:  Loose Id LLC |All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 309 pages
Published April 21st 2015 by Loose Id
ISBN139781623009212
edition languageEnglish

Series: In His Arena

2 in 1 Special! Its Release Day for Jaye McKenna’s ‘The Guardians of the Pattern’ Bundle & Cover Reveal for Wildfire Psi

 

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The Guardians of the Pattern Bundle, Volume One by Jaye McKenna
Release Day: December 14
Cover Artist: Chinchbug

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words has not one but two Jaye McKenna specials for the readers today.  Jaye McKenna is releasing The Guardians of the Pattern Bundle, Volume One today, you can read the wonderful description below.  But we also have the cover reveal for the next book in the series, Wildfire Psi, below.  To celebrate, there is a Rafflecopter giveaway for the first book,Psi Hunter (Guardians of the Pattern, #1.  Check it all out below!  Happy Reading.

Description for The Guardians of the Pattern Bundle:

The Guardians of the Pattern Bundle, Volume One contains the first three M/M sci-fi/romance novels of the Guardians of the Pattern series: Psi Hunter, Gremlin’s Last Run, and Ghost in the Mythe, plus the free prequel short story, Facing the Mirror.

Facing the Mirror (Prequel): When undercover agent Cameron Asada meets Miko, a psychic slave kept by the drug lord Cameron is investigating, he starts to question his mission priorities. The choice is clear: complete the mission or help Miko. Neither option is easy, but only one will allow Cameron to face himself in the mirror.

Psi Hunter (Book 1): Sparks fly when ex-lovers Kyn Valdari and Pat Cottrell are ordered to team up on a murder investigation. When they discover an abused, traumatized young psion powerful enough to kill with a thought, they must work together to protect him from being enslaved by the very organization that is supposed to save him.

Gremlin’s Last Run (Book 2): When independent freighter captain Rhys Tyler finds Alek McKinnon hiding in his cargo hold, he has a choice to make: help a wounded Federation agent escape from his captors, or shove him out the air lock. One look at Alek’s pretty brown eyes is all it takes to convince Rhys to take a chance on the man. Now they’re both on the run from a shady organization that wants Alek back at any cost.

Ghost in the Mythe (Book 3): Exiled from his home world, Tarrin Rhivana stows away on a Federation ship, and finds himself lost in the terrifying place-between-worlds where jump ships navigate. There he meets a beautiful ghost who might be the only one who can help Tarrin save his world from outside forces that would strip it bare.

Links for Guardians of the Pattern Bundle, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3):

~

And Now for the Cover Reveal for the next book in the series…

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 Wildfire Psi (Guardians of the Pattern #4) by Jaye McKenna
Release Date:

Cover artist: Chinchbug

Book Description for Wildfire Psi, Guardians of the Pattern, Book 4

Things are finally going well for Luka Valdari. He’s found a home and family at the Institute for Psionic Research, and he has a job he loves. When a training mission takes him back to the streets of downside Riga, he’s got plenty of reason to be uneasy, and when a psionic cry for help leads him to a nightmare from his past, Luka’s ready to bolt.

Things are not going so well for Damon Korsov. He’s got voices in his head, a hole in his memory, and strange dreams that may or may not be glimpses of his past. The one man who might hold the key to Damon’s past is the one man he can never ask. Because somehow, Luka knows Damon, and it’s clear to Damon that Luka hates him.

Unwilling to expose anyone else to the danger Damon represents, Luka volunteers to train him. He wants to hate Damon, but instead finds himself fascinated. Before they get a chance to sort things out between them, the two men are thrown into the middle of a terrifying plot that puts every human life in the galaxy at risk. Can Luka and Damon confront both of their pasts and work together to prevent disaster? Or will all the human worlds burn in the flames of wildfire psi?

Wildfire Psi Excerpt

Luka pushed the door open, and Damon followed him outside, stopping dead as he caught sight of the transformed landscape. He barely heard the cabin door slam shut behind him as he stared in awe.

Every blade of grass, every twig, and every dry leaf left clinging to the trees was covered in a thin layer of frost. Shafts of early morning sunlight were just beginning to touch the trees, making them look as if they’d been sprayed with crushed diamonds. Everything the sun touched sparkled like some crystal fairy-tale fantasy. He’d never seen anything so beautiful.

“It won’t last long,” Luka said. “The sun’s up. It’ll all melt off in a little while.”

Damon glanced up to see Luka’s pale green eyes fixed on his, an unreadable expression on his face. Luka turned and started down the trail toward the beach where Kyn had parked the flyer. Damon followed after him, shifting his gaze to the sparkling white trees.

“It’s beautiful,” he offered. “Like something out of a story.”

Luka didn’t respond, just kept walking. When they got to the beach, he pointed across the lake, toward the shore. Damon followed with his eyes and blinked at the delicately frosted trees.

How long he stood staring, he wasn’t sure, but in time, he noticed that the highest branches, those already kissed by the rising sun, had become wet and dark.

“Best is over now,” Luka said softly.

Damon stared down at his feet. “Thank you for showing me.”

“We should head back. Kyn’s making pancakes.” Luka turned and started back down the trail. Damon stared after him for a moment before following.

“I’ve never seen frost before. Or snow, for that matter.”

Luka gave him an odd, sideways look. “We had snow in Riga,” he said slowly. “But it was always brown—from all the smog and shit in the air. I didn’t know snow was supposed to be white until I came here.”

“You grew up in Riga, then?”

“Yeah.”

“I… don’t remember living anywhere but my grandfather’s estate on Majan. And some of his vacation homes. The estate was near the equator, and it didn’t get cold enough for frost. They got snow up near the poles sometimes, but I’ve only ever seen it in vids and pictures.”

There was a long silence before Luka spoke again. “Sometimes we’ll get a couple of feet of snow at a time, and if it’s windy enough, it’ll pile up in drifts. Some of ’em are so deep, they’re over my head, and when you go outside, it’s so quiet. The snow muffles everything.”

He was silent for a moment, and Damon stole a glance at him. Luka kept his eyes forward as he continued speaking. “It was the quiet that struck me the most about this place. It was worse than any noise, and so damned annoying it was hard to fall asleep, at first. When we were back in Riga, that was the first thing that hit me, was the noise. I can’t believe I never even noticed it when I lived there.”

Damon listened, fascinated by Luka’s enthusiasm and captivated by his voice. When Luka finally turned his head to look at him, Damon’s breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t seen Luka look so relaxed since he’d met him, and it suited him. For once, his smile didn’t look forced, and his eyes were bright and alive.

Something stirred deep in his gut, something that made him want to stare into those eyes and lose himself in their green depths. Something that made him want to wrap his arms around Luka and make sure that no one ever hurt him again.

But when Luka’s eyes met his, Damon saw the shadows darken them. The bright smile slipped away, and Luka’s expression became closed again. It was as if the sun had gone behind the clouds, and Damon was left feeling cold and bereft.

They continued on in silence, but it was a wary, tense silence, with no trace of those brief, shared moments of companionship.

Damon bit his lip and tried to ignore the empty feeling in his chest. Tried not to think about how much he liked Luka, how good that smile had looked on him, and how much he wished it had been inspired by something he’d said or done rather than some happy memory.

He was never going to be anything more than an ordeal for Luka, and knowing that hurt.

Knowing that it was somehow his own fault hurt even more.

About the Author

Jaye McKenna icon

Jaye McKenna was born a Brit and was dragged, kicking and screaming, across the Pond at an age when such vehement protest was doomed to be misinterpreted as a “paddy”. She grew up near a sumac forest in Minnesota and spent most of her teen years torturing her parents with her electric guitar and her dark poetry. She was punk before it was cool and a grown-up long before she was ready. Jaye writes fantasy and science fiction stories about hot guys who have the hots for each other. She enjoys making them work darn hard for their happy endings, which might explain why she never gets invited to their parties.

You can contact Jaye McKenna at     Goodreads| Twitter| Website

Giveaway

PSI Hunter CoverEnter to win a copy of Psi Hunter (Guardians of the Pattern, #1 .  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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Blurb: In a future where humanity has spread out among the stars, those few possessing psychic abilities are looked upon with suspicion at best and murderous intent at worst.

On Aurora, one of the more tolerant worlds of the Federation, Pat Cottrell works for Federation Security as a psi hunter, tracking down and neutralizing dangerous psi criminals.

Kyn Valdari works for the Institute for Psionic Research, running search and rescue operations, in which psions in distress are offered the chance to learn how to control psychic abilities that can threaten sanity and ruin lives.

Kyn and Pat used to be best friends, closer than brothers. Three years ago, one passionate night that never should have happened left both of them shocked, confused, and desperately wanting more.

They haven’t spoken since.

Now, the silence between them must be broken. Kyn and Pat have been ordered to investigate a string of murders that may have been committed by a psion powerful enough to kill with a thought. In order to succeed, they will have to work together to save an abused, traumatized young psion from being taken advantage of by the very organization that is supposed to save him

In the Mood for A Dark Thriller? Check out Haven’s Creed by Parker Williams (excerpt and giveaway)

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Haven’s Creed by Parker Williams
 Release Date: December 14, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Parker Williams

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Today I’m very grateful to be visiting Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. My name is Parker Williams, author of Haven’s Creed.

So, Parker, tell us a little about yourself, where you come from.

My name is Parker Williams (or Will Parkinson if you prefer). I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband, our four dogs, and three cats.

How about giving our readers a sneak peak to characters from a work in progress?

Haven: At age fifteen, Haven killed a man. He did it to protect his sister and mother, but the aftermath changed his life forever. He cut himself off from the world and trained to be a sniper in the Army. When his skill got noticed by an organization who needed his expertise, he was pulled into his new life and given the codename ‘Haven’ as it was his job to protect the innocent. Should he be unable to protect them, then his job is to avenge them.

Samuel: Samuel was held as a sex slave before he was a teenager. He’s been kept a prisoner for over half his life, satisfying a perverse pleasure of those who kept him captive. He longs for freedom, but there are days he’d settle for death. When he’s left in a cellar, chained to the floor, he knows his time has come.

Haven is a bad man. One of the worst you’ll ever meet. He has done, and will continue to do, some awful things. But he does them to protect people. To save the children. But cracks are beginning to show in his armor. And bits of his soul are being torn away. The man whose job it is to rescue, may need someone to save him, too.

Thanks, Parker, for the insight and for stopping by.  Now for more about Haven’s Creed.

Blurb

An act of violence destroys his family and ends the life he knows. To escape his haunted past, he joins the military, where, as a sniper, he is trained to kill with precision and detachment. When a covert organization offers him a new purpose, he becomes Haven, an operative devoted to protecting the innocent when he can and avenging them when he cannot.

After ten years of battling the evil in the world, the life no longer holds the attraction or meaning it once had, and he’s ready to walk away. Then he meets Samuel, a young man forced from the age of twelve to work as a sex slave. If ever a man had a need for Haven, it is this one.

Yet nothing about this growing relationship is one-sided. Sammy gives Haven a stability he’s never known, and Haven becomes the rock upon which Sammy knows he can depend.

When Sammy reveals something about the enemy Haven has been hunting for months, Sammy fears it will destroy what they’ve built and he’ll lose his home in Haven’s heart.

Warning: This book contains violent and dark scenes
Pages or Words: 95,000 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Thriller, some romantic elements, some dark and violent imagery

Excerpt

When I was fifteen, I killed my first man. Every time Arnie, the guy my mother was shacking up with at the time, drank, he got it into his head she was cheating on him. He’d start slapping her, and that turned into full-fledged beating within a few months. When he was done, he’d start on my sister.

There were nights she’d crawl into bed with me, sobbing. For the longest of times, she wouldn’t tell me what happened, but when I found blood on her pajamas, I knew. I’d tried to stand up to him, but he beat me badly enough that I couldn’t go to school for two weeks until the bruises faded. But I got off lucky. The things he did to Chrissy gave me nightmares. I’d hear her cry out and knew there was nothing I could do but hide in my bed, my pillow covering my head. He was bigger, meaner, and stronger than me, and he reminded me of that fact constantly.

The old lady never said boo about it. She always forgave him and tried to justify what he did by telling me how much stress he was under. How he was a good man and didn’t mean it. It was just the drinking, she swore. It was more like he was a bastard and she was his meal ticket.

I came home one night and found him whaling on her, my sister’s body crumpled in a heap, her head smashed in. The son of a bitch had a gun in his hand, slick with blood, and he threatened to kill them both, screaming he wouldn’t let her leave. She slapped him. It wasn’t hard, but it shocked him enough that he dropped the gun. I picked it up. He sneered at me and called me a weak-willed fag.

I looked at the gun I held in my hand. The instrument of my revenge. The means to saving my sister.

“Give me the gun, you fuck. It’s not a dick, you wouldn’t know what to do with it.”

The bullet I put in his forehead showed him how wrong he was. He lay on the floor, blood bubbling from the wound, and his eyes locked on mine as he took his last breath. I wanted that fucker to know it was the weak-willed fag who had done this to him.

Buy the book:

RC

Meet the Author

Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that come with melding lives together.

Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.

Where to find the author:

 

Tour Dates & Stops:

14-Dec

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Multitasking Mommas, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Cate Ashwood, Wake Up Your Wild Side

15-Dec

Love Bytes, MM Good Book Reviews, Book Lovers 4Ever, A.M. Leibowitz, 3 Chicks After Dark

16-Dec

Divine Magazine, Cathy Brockman Romances, Unquietly Me, Louise Lyons, KathyMac Reviews, Havan Fellows

17-Dec

Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, Happily Ever Chapter, Nephy Hart, Iyana Jenna, Lee Brazil

18-Dec

The Blogger Girls, Carly’s Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Mikky’s World of Books, Tara Lain, Emotion in Motion

19-Dec

Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, BFD Book Blog, Jessie G. Books

21-Dec

Joyfully Jay, Molly Lolly, Bonkers About Books, Open Skye Book Reviews

Final

 

Giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $30 gift card from All Romance eBooks.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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A Nutty Christmas Anthology: ‘Maddy Christmas’ by Harper Jewel, S.A. Garcia, Meg Bawden, Chris McHart (excerpt/contest)

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Book Name: Maddy Christmas Anthology
Author Names: Harper Jewel, S.A. Garcia, Meg Bawden, Chris McHart
 Release Date: December 14, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Rawmance Publishing
Cover Artist: Meg Bawden

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Blurb(s)

Santa’s Naughty Elf by Harper Jewel

Playing Santa in the local department store should be an easy way to make a few extra bucks, shouldn’t it? That’s what Brock Daniels, a victim or corporate downsizing, thought when he took the job at Larson’s. Once he finds out a handsome ginger—his one weakness—will be playing Santa’s elf, easy becomes complicated, even if it’s an enjoyable snag.

When Paul Martens discovers who’ll be playing Santa to his elf, déjà vu of an unforgettable night that took place almost two years ago comes crashing down on him.

The attraction between Brock and Paul grows to fevered levels while a runaway teen pulls at both men’s heartstrings. Will they be able to put aside their ardent attraction and channel some holiday magic in order to grant everyone’s Christmas wish, or will their stockings be filled with nothing but coal?

Paint Your Balls by Chris McHart

The lives of the heavenly beings that have a one-day-a-year job can become a bit dull. But when Santa’s reindeer fall ill on Christmas Eve, his life becomes anything but, so he reluctantly turns to the Easter Bunny for help.

Bunny harbors a long-time, secret crush on Santa and decides to take advantage of the request for help by offering an exchange. He wants Santa in his bed. Little does he know, Santa has discreetly lusted after him, but the man in red decides to teach the attractive Bunny a lesson he won’t soon forget.

Who will make the next move, and how will both men play the game? Will they be naughty or nice? In the end, could both men finally get what they desire?

Catching Santa Claus in the Act by Meg Bawden:

It’s Christmas Eve and Rowan Wayne has the task of babysitting his nieces. While he’d rather be out partying and having a one night stand with a sexy footballer, his nieces have always come first.

The last thing he expects is a thief entering his brother’s house in the middle of the night. Except the thief claims that he isn’t robbing the house, rather delivering the presents because he’s Santa Claus. Rowan thinks the reasoning is absurd, until he discovers this Santa Claus is the sexy guy from college, Christian Kringle.

Finding it hard to fight his attraction to the handsome Santa, Rowan isn’t sure what to believe. What will he do when he finds out Christian is equally attracted to him?

The Duke of Dickdom’s Desert Sojourn by S.A. Garcia:

Porn star Jason Rapier, aka “The Duke of Dickdom,” is suffering a dreadful day. Romantic rejection, deer assault, and career chaos are topped by his Porsche dying in the desert on Christmas Eve. Happily a special present guaranteed to inject the ho-ho-ho back into Jason’s holiday season is a mere service station away.

 

Pages or Words: 43,000 words
 Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

 

Excerpts:

The Duke of Dickdom’s Desert Sojourn by S.A. Garcia:

Jason gazed out the window watching the snowflakes drift on the strengthening breeze. He snuggled down deeper against the expensive mattress and male warmth. A quiet after-sex cuddle felt perfect. Sweaty on-set sex never involved cuddles unless a sensitive writer included the concept in the script.

A sensitive porn writer was a rare beast.

Xavier’s muscular body radiated heat against Jason’s right side. Mmmm. His fuck buddy’s raspy breathing sounded close to sleep again. After Jason arrived at Xavier’s last night, they ate a quick sushi dinner, hopped into bed, and fucked each other on and off, supplementing sex with naps. This morning a snooze appealed to him. Still watching the snow through half-shut lashes, he nuzzled against Xavier.

A vicious thud filled the air. A large black bird—Jason couldn’t tell a raven from a vulture—swirled away from its slam against the picture window. The ebony shape contrasted against the snowflakes. A few feathers stuck to the wet glass.

Xavier jerked awake, staring at Jason with crossed-eyed irritation. “Wafuckwas that?”

“Some huge black bird bashed into the window. How freaky.”

“Weird. It must have misjudged because of the snow. Too many stupid turkey vultures around here. Geesh, I’m tired. You wore me out, bitch.”

Paint Your Balls by Chris McHart:

“Please, you have to help me! I can’t do all the work alone. It’s not my fault the reindeer have such bad colds. They’ve always played in the snow, how was I supposed to know they were freezing? I’ve had them for years, and they were never sick.”

Bunny listened to Santa’s pleas, not really concerned. It wasn’t his problem the man had sick reindeer. Bunny would need to do his job again in a few months, and he’d have to do the work all alone. He also managed to look after his chickens without them getting sick.

It was stressful enough to deliver presents and Easter eggs to all the kids around the world once a year. He’d be nuts if he’d do it twice, especially when one of these events simply wasn’t his responsibility.

Besides, Santa usually ignored him, not even giving him the time of the day. But now that the man in seductive red velvet needed him, he suddenly showed up. Why should he help him? He didn’t see a reason. It was simple as that.

“Please, I’ll do anything,” Santa tried again as he paced nervously back and forth on the cloud they stood on. They were outside in the sun, close to the reindeer stables and next to the room belonging to one of the Archangels.

Buy the book:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon AU

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Meet the authors:

Meg Bawden: Meg Bawden was born and raised in North Queensland, Australia. She’s loved stories since before she can remember and has always enjoyed creating characters of her own, even if it did begin with drawing faces on toilet rolls and giving them names. Writing has always been a passion of hers and she’s loved the M/M genre since 2004, the first book she read being Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez.

Writing M/M since 2007, Meg has never had the confidence to attempt publishing her own stories, but in 2015, she decided that it was all about to change thanks to the amazing friends she’s made in the M/M genre and their support and encouragement. So watch out, world, Meg Bawden is coming out to have some fun!

You can find Meg Bawden:

 

S.A. Garcia: Thirty-nine years ago, I started writing gay male romance. My writing remained a secret lest my friends thought me a freak. Writing about men inserting tab A into slot B didn’t seem the norm for a suburban female teenager. Reading Gordon Merrick, John Rechy, and Larry Kramer helped me fill in the informational gaps. No wonder I read those books in my bedroom.

As the years progressed, this lesbian still wrote gay male romance, although the stories moved from lurking in notebooks to hiding on the computer. I wrote fantasies, contemporaries, bodice rippers—I chugged along following Diva Faboo, my drunken, ornery muse.

Five published novels, assorted novellas, and spicy short stories have turned my life into a fun quandary of too many stories hindered by my slow typing skills. I accept the challenge and blunder onward into more trauma, drama, and humor. Once I train my wicked men to stop ruining my plots— face it, that will never happen. They refuse to listen!

You can find S.A. Garcia:

Chris McHart: Chris McHart lives in Germany, with her husband, slave, Dom, partner in crime, and muse (all in one person, not even she’s that kinky!). She loves her husband, men in kilts and Scotch Whisky. Her idea of a perfect evening is to curl up with her laptop and write (the other options are not suitable to post in public).

Visit her blog or friend her on Facebook, where you can join her author group.

You can find Chris McHart:

 

Harper Jewel: Harper Jewel lives in northeast New Jersey with her husband and 18-year-old daughter. She has three cats, enjoys reading, and taking trips to Walt Disney World. With her outgoing personality and vivid imagination, she is able to create characters and plots that are believable as well as memorable.

Although she began writing male/female romance/erotica, she has finally found her niche in Gay Romance. She thoroughly enjoys her male characters as they speak to her quite loudly while proving love is love. Being the first M/M author accepted at Lush Publishing is an honor she’s very proud of.

In addition to her writing, she uses her college education and background in English and Language Arts to work as an independent editor. She’s also expanded her skills to include formatting for Smashwords Premium Catalog, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Amazon, & All Romance Ebooks.

In September 2015, she created Slippery Fingers Press & Publishing Services and plans to use the company name for self-publishing as well as her editing and formatting jobs.

To find out more about Harper Jewel, visit her website at www.harperjewel.com.

Where to find the author:

Harper Jewel:

 

RC

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, A.M. Leibowitz, Bayou Book Junkie, Havan Fellows, BFD Book Blog, Book Lovers 4Ever, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, My Fiction Nook, Happily Ever Chapter, Jessie G. Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, EE Montgomery, Divine Magazine, Bonkers About Books, It’s Raining Men, MM Good Book Reviews, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, The Hat Party,

Velvet Panic, Molly Lolly, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 ARe 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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