In the Book Spotlight: Classic
 (Rainbow Connection
 #3) by Lynn Townsend

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Classic
 (Rainbow Connection
 #3) by Lynn Townsend
Release Date: September 2, 2015

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Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

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Sales Links:  Torquere Books

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Beau Watkins and Vin Reyes have mended their differences, but that doesn’t mean that everything is back the way it was. When Beau’s teenage niece shows up with her son in tow, Beau is thrown unexpectedly into a world of adult responsibilities and adult decisions, all of which could have disastrous consequences. Reconciliation with his family is complicated by an overseas internship with a predatory business woman.

Vin still struggles with his alcoholism, with finding his place in a world after college, and establishing relationships with his newfound father and sister. The last puzzle piece of Vin’s mysterious past is clicked into place when he comes face-to-face with his mother’s ex-fiance. His relationship with Beau has never been stronger… until an unexpected email threatens to topple everything they’ve build together.

Pages or Words: 69,900 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Beau grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and tossed it in his gym bag. Outside, David laid on the horn.
“Coming,” Beau muttered to the empty room. Vin was off touring yet another one of his grandfather’s facilities in the endless, looping discussion about what he was going to do with his life.Beau locked the door behind himself, and skipped most of the bottom half of the stairs with a one-handed rail-jump. He waved to the Escalade, knowing David would see him behind the tinted windows. Beau felt a flutter of pleasurable nerves in his gut; it had been a while since he’d gone out dancing–avoiding the bars was in Vin’s best interests for the time being–and he really needed a workout. David had suggested a trip to the gym, where he’d teach Beau some of the basics in kick-boxing.
Beau just reached the door when someone grabbed his shoulder. He dropped his bag, whirling, heart in his throat, breathing hard. He knocked the offending limb aside. The passenger side door of the Escalade flew open and David slid out, gun already in hand.
“Back away from Mr. Watkins, sir,” David advised, his voice low and firm.
“I am Mr. Watkins,” the man said, confused. “Beau?”
“Lee?” Beau’s legs almost gave out from under him and he leaned hard against the side of the SUV, feeling the black painted metal heating his skin. “Jesus Christ.”
“Are you all right, sir?” David didn’t look away from his target, his gun still trained on Beau’s older brother.
“Parking lot,” Beau said. David knew about his panic attacks. David had been there when Vin found Beau, beaten and bloody, on the asphalt, two years ago.
“Back. Up.” David slid the rest of the way out of the vehicle. “I consider you a threatening individual.”
“My God, David,” Beau said. David wasn’t wearing his typical three-piece suit, probably the first time Beau had ever seen him dressed casually, in black sweatpants and a white tank top, his gun holster buckled to his chest like some sort of kinky lingerie. Beau’d always suspected the raw strength underneath the tailored coats, but he’d never actually seen it. David was cut from a block of wood, hard muscles overlaid with tanned skin, marred here and there by scars, one of which could have been caused by nothing less than a bullet wound. “Lee is my brother.”
“Which does not negate the need to protect you from him, sir,” David said. “I’ve heard about his letters. Not only that, but I saw Mr. Reyes’s throat after spring break. This is a dangerous individual.”
“I kinda dislocated his shoulder for that,” Beau admitted. “Seriously, David, put the gun away and put on a shirt, you’re makin’ me horny.”
“Yah, you’re cute, kid, but not that cute.” David gave Lee a particularly fierce look. “I am very fond of your brother. I will shoot you if I even think you’re about to do something stupid. Are we crystal on this?”
“Yeah, clear, man,” Lee said. He took a cautious step backward. “I just wanna talk to him. I’m not here to pick a fight.”
Beau nodded. “Right. We’ll go talk on the steps,” he said.
Lee waited until they were out of earshot. “What the hell is that guy’s problem?”
“David and Vin saved my life a few years back,” Beau said. “I think David takes it personally that he wasn’t there to keep Contreras from beating the shit out of me. And you did try to crush Vin’s throat.” Beau’s legs were still wobbly and he collapsed onto the stairs gratefully.
“Whatever, man.”
It was barely worth the effort to glare at Lee. “What are you doing here? What do you want? How the hell did you even find our place?” Beau leaned his head against the brick wall. He would probably kill someone for a cigarette, but he was trying to quit–again–and didn’t currently have any on him.
“I got the address from Sheila, down at the post office. I asked her where Momma was sending all your packages.”
“Well, that’s just a little bit creepy,” Beau said. Not that it wasn’t typical; small towns did not hold with big federal laws about privacy. It wasn’t private, between kin, and half the town was related to most of the other half. “Sit down, Lee. My head already hurts.”
Lee dropped onto the porch, leaning his weight back on one arm. He looked older. There was no better word for it. His usually needs-a-haircut curls were gone, close clipped in an almost military style, and he’d finally shaved off the soul patch under his lip. Lee wore a button down shirt and jeans. Near his knee, there was a red smear of something that might have been dried jelly.
“How have you been, kid?” Lee asked.
“Are we being nice? Is that what we’re doing here? Nice? After… well, after everything?”
“I didn’t think you’d listen to me if I called.” Lee raked a hand over his scalp, his wedding ring glinting in the sun.
“I suppose you think I’m being unreasonable, all things considered?” Beau asked.
“Look, I’m sorry about the letters,” Lee said.
“Don’t apologize to me about them.” Beau snorted. “I didn’t read ’em after the first two. Broke my hand on the wall wishin’ it was your skull. Ann-Marie read them for me, to see if you’d stopped being an ass. Haven’t gotten one in a while. Something change in your life?”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn’s interests include filk music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.

Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LynnTownsendwriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tisfan
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kthicks3/
Other: http://paidbytheweird.blogspot.com/
Other: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tisfan

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Happily Ever Chapter, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, BFD Book Blog, Inked Rainbow Reads, Molly Lolly, Velvet Panic, Jessie G. Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Divine Magazine, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

 

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Trilogy of books, Roll, Blues and Classic. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
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Love a Geek in Love? Check out ‘Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts by Charlie Cochet (excerpt, contest and character profile)

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AboutTheBook

  • BewareOfGeeksFSTitle: Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts
  • Author: Charlie Cochet
  • Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
  • Cover Artist: Anne Cain
  • Length: 86 pages
  • Release Date: August 19, 2015

Blurb: Julian “Quinn” Quinetro, a gruff, tough Miami SWAT officer, has been injured on the job, and all he’s looking for is a little peace and quiet to recover—difficult to achieve with his large Cuban family. An adventure in picking up his prescriptions puts him in the path of his geeky, brownie-baking neighbor, Spencer Morgan. Spencer sweeps into Quinn’s life like a tropical storm of sunshine and rainbows. Not surprisingly, it’s chaos at first sight. Quinn’s in need of a little tender loving care, and Spencer decides he’s just the man for the job. Their very different lives might clash, but they might also find some common ground—and maybe more.

Need more?  Meet Spencer!  Here is Spencer’s very own Character Profile!  Maybe we should show this to Quinn? Nah! That’s just way too easy!

BGBG Spencer Character Profile - ScatteredThoughts

Excerpt

“This is sad, man. What is it with you and brownies?”

“These aren’t just any brownies,” Spencer stated proudly as he removed his latest batch of baked chocolate decadence from the oven. “These are Nutella caramel brownies with nuts, made from scratch. These are orgasm-in-your-mouth brownies.”

“Not really sure what to think about that,” Danny muttered, eyeing the brownies dubiously. “Seriously, dude. The only orgasm you should be chasing is the one waiting next door. This is your perfect chance! He’s defenseless.” Danny reached for a brownie, but Spencer slapped his hand away before he could pilfer one.

“I have to spread the Nutella and top them with walnuts. Also, I don’t know what I find more disturbing: that you think I should take advantage of the poor guy in his defenseless state, or that you believe the only way I’ve got a shot is to take advantage of him in his defenseless state.” He stopped and turned to his pouting best friend. “And FYI, defenseless is what babies and puppies are, not huge-ass mountain men in possession of heavy artillery. I ran into him once, literally, and it’s like he’s made out of fucking granite. He’s got an eight-pack. An eight-pack.”

Spencer had never seen an eight-pack outside of cyberspace. Until his sexy neighbor, he’d questioned their existence, much like Bigfoot. The sighting had taken place one morning on his way to get groceries. Quinn had been on his way to their gated community’s pool, sporting nothing but low-riding swim trunks and flip-flops. He’d stepped into the elevator next to Spencer, and the heat outside had nothing on the heat that had spread through Spencer’s body. Luckily Quinn had been too busy texting to notice Spencer’s Human Torch impression.

“I have… I don’t even know what this is.” Spencer lifted up the hem of his apron and the Hulk T-shirt underneath with a frown. He ran his finger down a groove along his torso as he sucked his stomach in. “Does this look like muscle definition to you?”

Danny reached over to pat Spencer’s pale belly. “Looks like you need to stop baking brownies. And get some sun, man. Look at you. You’re not even white. You’re like, transparent.”

“That’s harsh.” Spencer lowered his clothes. “I don’t tan like you. I burn. You couldn’t lie to me? Besides, what am I supposed to say to him? ‘Hi, remember me? I’m the guy who’s been living next door to you for the past year. We pass each other in the hall every day, take the elevator together, have parking spaces next to each other, have mailboxes next to each other, do laundry in the same room together, and shop at the same supermarket. No? That’s okay. Excuse me while I die of embarrassment.’” Spencer walked around the kitchen counter and flopped down into a chair, waiting for the brownies to cool. “The guy doesn’t know I exist. He’s freakin’ Miami SWAT. He’s probably an overbearing, misogynistic asshole with a giant ego, anyway.”

Danny took a seat next to him, his expression filled with concern. “You don’t know that. Besides, since when do you judge people?”

Spencer narrowed his eyes at his friend. “No one likes a smartass.”

“Says the guy who got a ticket for mouthing off to a police officer.”

“I wasn’t mouthing off. I was being witty and adorable. The guy just had no sense of humor. Besides, I was nowhere near that fire hydrant. He was clearly behind on his quota. Bet that wouldn’t have happened to Quinn.” Was he pouting? Oh God, he was. Danny was right; he was sad.

“Probably because he’s SWAT and can park his ginormous truck wherever the hell he wants.” Danny went to the glass doors of the balcony overlooking the parking spaces and started laughing.

“What?”

“You know how they say dogs look like their owners? I wonder if the same applies to cars.”

Spencer joined Danny at the window, letting out a low groan. His tiny yellow Fiat gleamed cheerfully beside Quinn’s monster black Chevy Silverado. “It looks like a sunspot.”

BuyLinks

Dreamspinner Press (eBook)

Amazon US

Amazon UK

All Romance eBooks

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

AboutTheAuthor

AuthorPicCharlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From adventurous agents and sexy shifters, to society gentlemen and hardboiled detectives, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

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Winner’s Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older.  Link and prize provided by the author and Creative Minds Promotions.

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Cover Reveal for Lane Hayes’ Better Than Safe (A Better Than series novel) (contest)

 

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Lane Hayes reveals the beautiful cover art for the
next book in her BETTER THAN series
titled BETTER THAN SAFE.
 
It releases on September 25, 2015, published by Dreamspinner Press.
 
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BLURB
 

Paul Fallon is a fashion advertising guru. He’s a genius at dealing with difficult editors, art directors, and designers alike. He thrives on the chaotic atmosphere and constant challenges. But in his personal life, he’s hoping for peace and stability. Settling down with a nice doctor or lawyer sounds perfect. Anyone but an artist. He’s been there, done that, and he doesn’t want to relive the heartache.

Seth Landau is a model, occasional guitarist, and aspiring painter. He’s quirky, flighty, and wise beyond his years. Life has taught him some tough lessons, then given him opportunities he never dreamed of. He’s learned to appreciate the fragility of life and to express it in his work. Seth’s flare for the absurd combined with a supple mind and a beautiful body are too alluring for Paul to ignore. Against his best intentions, Paul is drawn to the younger man whose particular brand of crazy challenges Paul to accept that things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes taking a chance is better than being safe.

 
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PRESENTING
 
Cover
Art by Aaron Anderson
 

 

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EXCLUSIVE SNIPPET
He was gorgeous, albeit a bit daft, but the truth was I had a thing for beautiful crazy people
 
Read more exclusive excerpts on –
 
 
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PRE-ORDER NOW
 
 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full time!
It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early
age, she has always been drawn to a well-told love story with beautifully
written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles both be men! Lane
discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her first
novel was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and her third received an
Honorable Mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards. She loves travel, chocolate, and
wine (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her
amazing husband and the coolest yellow lab ever in an almost empty nest.
 
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
 
Winner’s Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Creative Minds Promotions.
 

A MelanieM Review: Dead Man’s Hand: Jack of Spades #4 by Lee Brazil (Pulp Friction 2015:Altered States Book 13)

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Dead Man's Hand coverBarton Montoire, the ghost of a nineteenth century riverboat gambler, is devastated and angry. His lover, physics professor Sabine, has exorcised him. Again. This time, there’s no denying the professor’s actions were intentional. Worse, Bart can’t seem to convince their friends to aid him in his quest get Sabine to listen to his side of things.

With his lover Bart safe from shadowy threats of eternal damnation in the “other realm,” ghost hunter Sabine Brusilov is free to pursue his own risky investigation into the mysterious circlet and its connection to the shadow figure that’s been tormenting the unlikely couple. With the help of his friends, he determines to take control of the situation and bring Bart home.

I may have been a little harsh towards Sabine in the past, mostly because of his behavior and attitude towards Bart, his ghostly lover and favorite character of mine. However, with Dead Man’s Hand (book 4), Lee Brazil start’s repairing Sabine’s reputation, in my eyes and in that of his friends as well as supplying some explanations for some of the more bizarre actions and events that Sabine has been involved in. Has this made me mellow towards Sabine?  Yes, it has, damn, it.  Still that amount of arrogance has cost him.

Forty four pages  isn’t a lot of time to turn a impression of a character around but Lee Brazil does it concisely and within the framework of a complicated plot. Its not, however, that Sabine changes but that our perspective of Sabine that gets revised now that we get to see underneath the surface of his actions.  We see how the things he said and weird things he has done now fit differently into the whole picture.  That tilt in viewpoint also  shifts the story into another mode – a renewed sense of needing this couple to be together, something that might not have been there before.

Bart is still desperately trying to find his way “home”, seeking answers, for his own scary actions and Sabine’s.  That dark evil influence had spread wider than anyone had thought possible.  With Brazil reinstating Sabine as more in need of our compassion than scorn, Bart blindly trying to come come to Sabine, and the plot more deeply layered and vicious, the author is setting the stage for the explosions and fires that book 5 is sure to bring.  Demons anyone?  Evil demons that is?  This is going to be painful, bloody, and someone, perhaps more than one is going to get hurt, but who?

Ah, Book 5, here we come, I can’t wait for the paranormal explosions to begin!

I highly recommend this story and all the stories that came before.  Pick them up and devour them like the scary bon bons they are!.

 

Cover artist Laura Harner.  Still wish they were darker and more frightening.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 44 pages
Published August 14th 2015 by Lime Time Press
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edition languageEnglish

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About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura HarnerRound Two:
Dead Blind (Jack of Spades: 2) by Lee Brazil
Stud Player (King of Hearts: 2) by Havan Fellow
Up the Ante (Four of Clubs: 2 ) by Parker Williams
Diamond Draw (Ace of Diamonds: 2) by Laura HarnerRound Three:Dead Button (Jack of Spades #3) by Lee Brazil
Blind Man’s Bluff (King of Hearts #3) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Playground (Four of Clubs #3) by Parker Williams
Diamonds Edge (Ace of Diamonds #3) by Laura Harner

Round Four:
Dead Man’s Hand (Jack of Spades 4) by Lee Brazil
Blind Heart (King of Hearts 4) by Havan Fellows
High Stakes (Four of Clubs 4) by Parker Williams
Diamond Flush (Ace of Diamonds 4) by Laura Harner

A Mika Review: The Cage by Catt Ford

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

The Cage coverWelcome to The Cage, where you can share the ups and downs of a group of friends as they enjoy a rollicking adventure of sex and love in “the life.”

Being a Dom has always come naturally to Lazar Thornton, owner and operator of The Cage, a thriving adult toy store and meeting place for Lazar’s closest friends, Bran, Max, Otto, and the always flamboyant and fierce Miss Dré. But even the best of friends have different tastes in scenes—and in life.

Good-humored and laid back, but much in demand as both teacher and Dom, Lazar has always run from love. Until Ben Owen, relative newbie to the BDSM world, arrives wide-eyed and eager to learn, and Lazar wants to teach this sub everything he knows. But despite the openness needed for a Dom/sub relationship to thrive, neither discusses emotions. Feeling the sting of unrequited love, Ben isn’t as sure of his place in Lazar’s life as he wants to be. Lazar will need to read his sub’s heart as well as his mind if he truly wants to keep Ben in his life.

Only took 147 days (in actuality six long brutal days) to finish this.  Any other time this would have been a DNF. I don’t do multiple person point of views which is the case here. It’s almost like an introduction to a series. A group of people with their own selective issues telling their portion of the story, but it’s all intertwining. I literally had to keep pushing myself to finish it.

I do think that’s partially unfair, because some of these characters I was really interested in. I just feel like it was not enough time to develop them to be great. The main duo relationship fell to the wayside  because they didn’t develop enough chemistry for me. I feel like we walked into them and their relationship blind.

Some of the characters like Bran, and Otto? I really liked their story. I would totally buy a novella for each of them. I didn’t want to move on from them. Bran’s story especially, it’s not common in the m/m world for a “straight” guy to fall for a transsexual with hardly any problems, or over reaction. It was just blissfully lovely in my opinion. I thought Miss Dre was too over the top. Every drag queen cliché that has ever been out there was Miss Dre, I liked her sometimes, and other times I loathed her doing too much. Just her flamboyancy was annoying. Max as a character and his relationship was the most unsettling for me. It’s not something I’m familiar with in regards to reading about the BDSM community. It was different, and if it was developed more it could have been amazing. That leaves Lazar and Ben, and while they had the most scene time, I don’t care for them because I’m interested in Bran and Otto.

I think it was an almost okay start-up for a series if it becomes one. It was a first read for me by this author. I think it was okay, and I liked her writing style enough.

Cover Art by Catt Ford. I think it was a nice looking cover for the book. It was a cute cover portrayal of Ben.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages, paperback
Published July 31st 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
original title The Cage
ISBN13 9781634763967
edition language English

 

A Jeri Review: Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Against the Grain coverAs the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta’s Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash’s skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash’s secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what’s in his heart.

Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he’s ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn’t the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.

As a rule, I am not the biggest fan of PNR (paranormal romance). Vampires, werewolves, etc. There are a couple of series that I do absolutely love and Charlie Cochet’s THIRDs series is at the top of the heap.

Against the Grain is book 5 in the THIRDS series. While you *can* read this book as a stand alone, I highly highly recommend you start with the first book. If not, you are missing a lot.

This book starts the story of Cael and Ash. Two Therian shifters who are on the same team with the THIRDS Destructive Delta. Cael and Ash have tip toed around their attraction to each other for years. Ash because he didn’t think he was good enough for Cael, and Cael because he didn’t know that Ash was gay. Their flirtation and friendship in the previous books finally comes to a head in this book.

One of the many reasons I am a fan of these books as that there is a good story behind the sex and romance. These guys never seem to catch a break, but that is what makes the books so exciting!

To add to the great story line, the romance and the sex there is humor. OH is there humor! So witty and funny, you will find yourself cracking up out loud more than once.

For followers of the series- don’t worry, our original Destructive Delta couple Dex and Sloane have a great presence in the book so you won’t be disappointed at all.

Cover artist:

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

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages
Published August 3rd 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781634763752
edition language  English
series THIRDS #5

In the Spotlight: Reckless Hope (Letting Go #2) by j. leigh bailey (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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Reckless Hope (Letting Go #2) by j. leigh bailey
Release Date: August 24, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Carina Press

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Sales Links: amazon | barnes&noble | kobo | ibooks

My interview with j. leigh bailey

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing j. leigh bailey, author of Reckless Hope.

Hi j. leigh, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Thank you so much for having me! I’m j. leigh bailey, author of New Adult and Young Adult male/male romance. I live in the Chicagoland area and have always believed that nothing—not race, gender, sexual identity, religious background or paranormal affiliation—should get in the way of the vitally important Happy Ever After ending.

  • Tell us about your book.

RECKLESS HOPE is an opposites attract New Adult romance, in which I’ve paired up a hard-working, super-responsible, over-scheduled guy with a hard-partying, entitled, wealthy adrenaline junkie. Together they discover that learning to trust is a risk, and sometimes the risk is well worth the reward

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

There are a few challenges I face in getting into the head of my main characters. I’m neither a young male nor gay. Clearly, I don’t have the exact life experiences that match up to my characters.  But I was once twenty. I struggled to find my way, to define my future. One of the greatest things about writing, or even reading, is that the characters, even the non-human ones, have a shared human experience. We all go through stages of growth, of challenges. We all have periods of grief and excitement. We all fall in love and get our hearts broken. It’s exploring and facing these challenges, and hopefully overcoming them, that make books so much fun. It’s proof, through fiction, that people are capable of surviving and, at least in romantic fiction, achieving a happy ever after ending.

Which all sounds very… philosophical, which isn’t very me. The biggest challenge I face, really, is creating an authentic young male voice. Even when I was twenty, I used words and phrasing that came off as “too adult.” There’s a fine line between language that is so simple or clichéd as to insult young men everywhere, and using language that makes my young men sound like thirty-something women with a love of “big” words. Trying to sound realistic, and not stereotypical, while in my characters’ heads can be a struggle.

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

Reckless Hope is the second book in my Letting Go series, though it, and the others, are stand-alone. They share a common theme, but don’t have any characters or locations in common. I have a couple of characters who are introduced in this book, though, that I may decide to expand upon. Micah’s best friend Jace is kind of a hoot, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him paired up with someone who won’t know how to handle his slightly dramatic flair.

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

I’ve been reading romance since I was 11 years old. Even before that, the television shows and stories I read tended to have a romantic pair-up. Added to it, I read about 100 pages an hour, so I’ve read a lot of different books in a lot of different genres. I went through phases. For a while it was all romantic suspense. Then it was Regency romance. Then it was medieval romance. Then paranormal. If it was romance, I would read it. One day I read a male/male romance and it changed everything. In a male/male romance you have all the same elements that make a great romance, the same kinds of conflict that make getting from point A to point HEA so exciting. But you also have the added conflict of social pressure, the questions of to-PDA or not-to-PDA, out or in. Extra conflict that can make achieving the happily ever after ending more rewarding.

  • Where do you find your inspiration?

For me, I’ll get a phrase or an image stuck in my head. That phrase or image grows into a scene. Next thing I know, I’ve got a story brewing in my brain. Almost always I see an opening scene, or the scene in which the characters first meet, and I see how I want their story to end. Then I get to watch everything unfold from the first meeting to the end, just like I was reading the book as I was writing it. Sometimes I’m surprised at the direction the story takes me, but always the first scene and the last scene stick.

Thank you so much for having me!

STRW Author BookSynopsis

What’s life without a little risk?

Or a lot of risk, if you’re Sebastian Carlisle. He’ll never live up to the legacy of his dead brother, so why try? Being the wild child in a family of stuck-up rich snobs suits him just fine.

Until he meets Micah Burke, and everything changes.

Micah’s got too much going on for a relationship. Even if he could trust Sebastian, a distraction—a sexy, reckless distraction with a death wish—would only derail his carefully scheduled life. If it were just Micah, maybe that would be fine, but his mother and sister depend on him, and he can’t let them down. Or at least that’s what he tells himself.

A hot moment leads to a hot night leads to a connection neither of them are ready for. And when a crisis hits Micah’s family hard, Sebastian will have to shed his bad-boy image and decide whether he can be the man Micah needs—and Micah needs to decide whether he’ll let him.

Book two of Letting Go
Pages or Words: 67,000
Categories: M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“I thought I knew what kind of person you were.”
“Yeah, you made that pretty clear.”
Micah cringed, but kept going. “You take for granted everything I work my ass off to achieve. It’s easy for you. And now I know there’s more to you than that. I don’t understand your choices, or the need for an adrenaline rush you seem to have.” He held up a hand to keep Sebastian from saying anything. He scooted up, resting his back against the handlebars. “I don’t have to understand. It’s part of who you are.”
“Somehow I don’t think this discussion is heading in a direction I’m going to like.” Sebastian drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.
“The thing is, you’re a bad influence on me.”
“I don’t—”
“You don’t even have to do anything. Take tonight, for instance.”
“Tonight?”
“I have a midterm tomorrow. I should be studying. Or even sleeping. Instead I’m here. I never have trouble doing what I’m supposed to do. Setting aside my ‘want tos’ to do my ‘have tos.’ Except around you.”
“I’m not trying to make your life harder. I’m just trying to be part of it.”
“That’s what I don’t get. You could have almost anyone. You could find someone a hell of a lot less complicated than me.”
“You may not believe it, but I don’t mind complications.”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

j. leigh bailey is an office drone by day and the author of New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance by night. She can usually be found with her nose in a book or pressed up against her computer monitor. A book-a-day reading habit sometimes gets in the way of… well, everything…but some habits aren’t worth breaking. She’s been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. The last twenty years or so have not changed her voracious appetite for stories of romance, relationships and achieving that vitally important Happy Ever After. She’s a firm believer that everyone, no matter their gender, age, sexual orientation or paranormal affiliation deserves a happy ending.

She wrote her first story at seven, which was, unbeknownst to her at the time, a charming piece of fan-fiction in which Superman battled (and defeated, of course) the nefarious X Luther. She was quite put out to be told, years later, that the character’s name was actually Lex. Her second masterpiece should have been a best-seller, but the action-packed tale of rescuing her little brother from an alligator attack in the marshes of Florida collected dust for years under the bed instead of gaining critical acclaim.

Now she writes New Adult and Young Adult LGBT Romance novels about boys traversing the crazy world of love, relationships and acceptance.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.bailey.39948
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/JLeighBailey
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JenniWrites

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: An eBook copy of Nobody’s Hero (Letting Go book 1) and an eBook copy of Reckless Hope.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Final

Tour Dates & Stops:
24-Aug

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Velvet Panic, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

25-Aug

Hearts on Fire, Havan Fellows

26-Aug

Amanda C. Stone, Divine Magazine

27-Aug

V’s Reads, Boys on the Brink Reviews, BFD Book Blog

28-Aug

EE Montgomery, Bayou Book Junkie

31-Aug

Happily Ever Chapter, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

1-Sep

MM Good Book Reviews, Cathy Brockman Romances, Jessie G. Books

2-Sep

Dawn’s Reading Nook, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Hearts on Fire

3-Sep

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads

4-Sep

Just Love Romance, Molly Lolly

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Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Velvet Panic, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My
25-Aug
Hearts on Fire, Havan Fellows
26-Aug
Amanda C. Stone, Divine Magazine
27-Aug
V’s Reads, Boys on the Brink Reviews, BFD Book Blog
28-Aug
EE Montgomery, Bayou Book Junkie
31-Aug
Happily Ever Chapter, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat
1-Sep
MM Good Book Reviews, Cathy Brockman Romances, Jessie G. Books
2-Sep
Dawn’s Reading Nook, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Hearts on Fire
3-Sep
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads
4-Sep
Just Love Romance, Molly Lolly

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Summer Time is Almost  Over…..

month-of-august-clipart-4

Here we are going into our last week of August.  Hard to believe.  Fall is on the way.   Summertime is almost over, the lazy, hazy days fading away until next year.  School is almost back in session if it hasn’t happened already, and the pools will close over Memorial weekend.  Summer done and done.

So what were you favorite summer reads?  The ones that made you laugh and the ones that made you cry?  Was it TJ Klune’s The Lightning-Struck Heart (I know that was one of Stella’s), or J. Scott Coatsworth’s The Homecoming (one of Paul’s), or one of Jaye McKenna’s Guardians of the Patterns stories for BJ, a Bluewater Bay story that our Barb, the Zany old  Lady loves so much?  Check over your summer reading list and let us know which were some of your favorites, which ones we might have missed and we ones we got!  We love hearing from you.

Same goes for your favorite covers.

 

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, August 23:

  • Our Schedule This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, August 24:

  • Book Spotlight: J. Leigh Bailey’s ‘Reckless Hope’ Tour and Giveaway
  • A Jeri Review: Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet
  • A Mika Review:  The Cage by Catt Ford
  • A MelanieM Review: Dead Man’s Hand by Lee Brazil (PF 2015)

Tuesday, August 25:

  • Cover Reveal for Better Than Safe by Lane Hayes (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts by Charlie Cochet Tour and Giveaway
  • In the Spotlight: Lynn Townsend ‘Classic’ (excerpt and contest)
  • A Mika Review: All Man by Jay Northcote
  • A Jeri Review: The Windup by Kate McMurray

Wednesday, August 26:

  • Ada Maria Soto ‘Bowerbirds’ Keep Me In Mind Tour and Contest
  • Fret by Sandrine Gasq Dion‏ Guest Blog and Giveaway
  • A Stella Review: Bitter Taffy By Amy Lane
  • A Jeri Review: Thrown A Curve by Kate McMurray
  • A Paul B Review:  Yummy Indulgences (Men of Charlestown, #2) by Andi Anderson

Thursday, August 27:

  • Cover reveal for Melanie Hansen’s ‘Signs of Life’ excerpt and giveaway
  • A Stella Review: Confessions of a Wild Heart by Kade Boehme
  • A PaulB Review: Broken Circle (Sirius Wolves #2) by Victoria Sue
  • A MelanieM Review: The Shepherd and the Solicitor by Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee
  • A BJ Review:  Astounding! by Kim Fielding

Friday, August 28:

  • Riptide Tour: Lead Me Not by Ann Gallaugher  (contest)
  • Book Spotlight: CJane Elliott ‘Sex, Love, and Videogames’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Lead Me Not by Ann Gallagher
  • A Paul B Review: Zach (Gillham Pack, #2) by Catherine Lievens
  • A Jeri Review: The Long Slide Home by Kate McMurray

Saturday, August 29:

  • Best Covers of August 2015
  • Best Books of August 2015
  • Best of Our Summer Reads and Recs!

 

 

 

 

An Aurora YA Guest Post: “Wet Hot American Summer” Review

Now for Something a little different.  Aurora is in the middle of moving, and plus, you know. school.  So here is a special YA guest blog from Aurora on Wet Hot American Summer‘s sequel, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.
Why a movie review?  Well, movies and books have long been hooked together since the first film maker put down a  book and said “I bet that would make a great movie”. Sometimes we’ve agreed with them, other times not.  And sometimes, we’ve even read a book or two and thought I’d love to see that on the screen.  So why not the occasional film review?
Anyhow, here is Aurora’s.  Enjoy!
CAMP FIREWOOD WILL ALWAYS BE THERE TO WELCOME YOU HOME
A review of Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.
Our culture has been inundated with prequels, sequels, reboots and remakes for the past few years. From Michael Bay’s Transformers, to the new Ghostbusters, to Jurassic World, all the way back to Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You may have liked some of these movies, you may have hated all the ones you’ve seen and already decided to hate Ghostbusters, too. Either way, I think we can all agree that when something integral to our childhood or adolescence gets remade, it can be at least a little stressful.
I am here to tell the die hard fans of the Wet Hot movie: don’t be stressed. First Day of Camp doesn’t feel like a remake. It doesn’t feel like a sequel, or in this case, a prequel. It doesn’t even feel like going back to Camp Firewood after all these years. There’s a very simple way to put it.
Watching Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp feels like going home.
Let’s look at it a little more closely than that, though.
The plots are ridiculously out-there, the solutions to their problems are things that would never happen in real life, and it’s all supposed to happen over the course of a single day. Is this a criticism of the show? Absolutely not. For fans of the movie, and even first time viewers, the sheer ridiculousness of the show will be one of its most charming qualities. They even poke fun at themselves for their silliness a few times in the movie, and they’re some of the funniest moments.
What truly shines about the show, however, are the characters. As in the movie, every person is in some way lovable. And even with such a huge cast, filled with returning actors and completely new members, everyone gets their moment to shine, and everyone gets their story fleshed out and explored with time to spare for the ‘main’ plots. I commend Michael Showalter and David Wain for managing to add so many characters to the show, and most of them played by big stars, without feeling at any point like they were adding a cameo just to add a cameo. Every single actor that was added seemed to have existed as a character far before the actors themselves signed on. Everyone felt like they were doing exactly what was planned for them to do rather than just popping in to say, “Hi, I’m Jon Hamm!” and leaving again.
If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll love catching all the little nods to it in the series, and if you’re a fan of Showalter/Wain from back in their State days, you may just catch a reference that will have you on the floor toward the end of the series. If you’re watching the show with absolutely no prior knowledge of Wet Hot, those references will still be there, but rather than enhancing the series itself, they’ll make you catch little things in the movie that will be ten times funnier when you watch it.
So, the characters are lovable, the writing is solid, if ridiculous, and there are references to make old and new fans happy. But, the big question, so many years later, is it still funny?
My answer is a resounding yes. The series, even more so than the movie, features almost every type of comedy. From physical to slapstick to the more intellectual to just plain dick jokes. I guarantee that you will laugh, out loud, for a solid thirty seconds at one point in the series at the very least. Watching it with friends, there were a few laughs each episode that were big enough that we had to rewind because we’d missed some part of the conversation afterward.
And the comedy isn’t all First Day of Camp has to offer. There are some genuinely heart warming moments, usually followed by a big laugh to keep things on track, but they’re definitely there. There’s a good story, you’ll be rooting for the people you’re supposed to be rooting for. The actors and creators know these characters, and they know how to make us laugh with these characters. There are a few musical numbers, all composed by the brilliant and returning Craig Wedren.
It shouldn’t be hard to find a reason to watch First Day of Camp, and it shouldn’t be hard to enjoy it.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and the Wet Hot American Summer movie are available for streaming on Netflix any time after July 31, 2015.

 

A Mika Review: Outcast Cowboys by Sarah Masters

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Outcast Cowboys coversYou can run but you cannot hide. Problems have a habit of following you, even if it’s only inside your head.

Ross decides to start a new life away from the grim belly of London, England, unable to stomach being a cop any longer. He tells himself he’s moving miles away to find himself a bed partner, but he’s lying. He has to. Facing up to the real reason he’s leaving isn’t something he can handle. His last undercover job proved too much—his life was at risk—and if he stays in London he’ll likely end up dead. Nightmares plague him, his subconscious unable to switch the past off. So he moves to a ranch in America, thinking the new surroundings and different lifestyle will help him to heal—and to forget. What he soon realizes is he’s jumping from the frying pan into the fire…

Joe’s passion—that of caring for the horses—is the only thing that keeps him sane. He’s a surly man, and for good reason—a reason he hasn’t told a soul. Folks think he’s mean and unapproachable and suspect him of committing murder. More than once. Locals assume that Joe got let off the hook. Nothing could be further from the truth, but Joe lets people think what they will. He’s done with their speculation and sly looks.

When Ross and Joe meet, tension is rife. The air between them prickles with animosity as well as sexual tension. Both have a past they can’t get over. Both have skeletons in their closets they wish would turn to dust. And both have to make a decision. Can they cast their fears aside and trust each other, or have the terrors they’ve experienced ruined them for love?

Outcast Cowboys by Sarah Masters more of a psychological drama and less of cowboy story, dealing with murder and mayhem. One characters past life was as a British police officer. We start with a past flashback where Ross was in London as an undercover cop. I do not know how realistic this is. I enjoy stories like those from time to time, but I guess I felt detached from the very beginning because of the dark feelings from the book.

It was somber for most of the plot and that kept me from connecting with any of the characters. I think that just to drop that career into another country, and  to up and become a cowboy in said country with no qualifications felt unrealistic. I could see if he was a wanderer, but he has no skill sets for this. Then meeting Joe, it is rocky start to say the least. There was immediate hostility between the two as well as a total lack of chemistry in my opinion.  I think it made getting together more of a booty call at best than an actual romance.

I do not know if I understand what Joe was going on about in the beginning, his attitude was horrid, then after one day, he completely changes his tune. He changed and I did not believe it at all. I couldn’t relate to either character. It felt very disjointed throughout most of the story. The tone seemed different from the beginning to the middle. Some things did not make sense to me, like talking about murdered horses, and burned down dorms. The drama aspect of the story did not make sense. Here I was thinking that this was going to be a straight CR m/m story with a foreigner and a cowboy falling in love over the horses. I did not like anything about this. I have picked it up 3 or 4 times just to get through the story. Sadly, at the end I was not happy with the plot or the characters.

 Cover Art by Posh Gosh. The cover was one reason I was interested. The cowboy boots makes me believe I’m going to get a happy, contemporary story. While it wasn’t that, I did think the cover was nice.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing |  All Romance (ARe)  | Amazon  | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published July 21st 2015 by Totally Bound
ISBN13 9781784306625
edition language English
 other editions None found