Sunday Afternoon Book Blast: Thianna Durston’s A Good Family Man (Corbin’s Bend,Season Three #8) (excerpt and contest)

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A Good Family Man (Corbin’s Bend,Season Three #8) by Thianna Durston

Release Date: August 6th 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Blushing Books

Sales Link:  Amazon

Blurb:

Jack Carmichael’s natural instinct is to take care of people. In his job as a U.S. Marshal, he has done that for 25 years. Unfortunately, being married to his job has left his love life in tatters. Now classified unfit for duty, he retires and comes home to Colorado to figure things out. Dominant and used to taking control like his brother Brent, he has never been interested in spanking. Until a cute Nurse Practitioner catches his attention.

Josh Martin feels lucky. He’s not only accepted into Corbin’s Bend, but he’ll be working at the brand new Corbin’s Bend Medical Clinic as its only Nurse Practitioner. At thirty-two, he figures this is his last-ditch attempt at finding a dominant partner who isn’t abusive. He finds more than his share of dominant men in Corbin’s Bend, not the least of which are the Carmichael brothers. Brent’s dominance is both comforting and unnerving, Jack’s turns him on.

Josh is unlike any submissive male Jack has encountered and when the younger man asks him out, he decides to give it a go. One day of fun turns into two, three…until Jack, with more failed relationships than he can count in his past and unsure he can be the head of house Josh needs, leaves, burying himself once again in work. Forced to see the error of his decision, he puts aside the worries that have plagued him for months and returns to Corbin’s Bend. To become the good family man he wants to be, he has to earn back Josh’s trust and truly take on a role he’s never considered before: head of a loving discipline household.

Pages or Words:

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

Excerpt:

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About the author:

Thianna likes to say she’s eclectic, fun, and just a bit naughty. She can also add, subtract, multiply, and divide in her head, but if people ask her to do it at parties, she isn’t impressed. While she would love to say there wasn’t a genre she had read that she didn’t enjoy, it would be a lie. For some reason, she keeps skipping to the ends of mystery books to find out who done it.

The creator and acquisition editor for the Corbin’s Bend Romance series, she wants to know: Who else wants to be safe, secure, and spanked in Colorado?

Under the name Thianna Durston, she writes M/M romance. Under Thianna D., she writes M/F romance.

Where to find the author:

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Foxylutely Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Molly Lolly, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Bike Book Reviews, The Blogger Girls, Carly’s Book Reviews, Love Bytes, Inked Rainbow Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Multitasking Mommas, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, My Fiction Nook, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Amanda C. Stone, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Chris McHart, Iyana Jenna

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $5.00 gift card and copy of ‘A Good Family Man’ on release.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Dogs Days of August and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

Sirius the dog star

 

The dogs days of August are here and those words have so many meanings, past, and present.  According to the Romans and other Mediterranean cultures, the dog days referred to the heat and the dog star Sirius “burning” so “hot” in the night  and morning skies.  The largest, brightest star in the Canis major constellation, Sirius the Dog Star, also the brightest star that we can see unaided in the night sky, came to be associated in ancient days with the heat of the season when this constellation rose and set along with the sun just as it does now.

When this constellation was high, the shepherds drove their flocks down from the mountain grazing lands into their safer pens close to their villages. Other measures were also taken to safeguard their water supply and gardens. Why?  Because the heat was also driving the predators out of the mountains as well, looking for water and food. The villagers depended upon their dogs to guard their flocks just as some do today. What flock guard dogs can you  name? Maremmas,Anatolian shepherds, Great Pyrenees, Komondors, Kuvasz are just a few breeds that come to mind. They are often raised with the flocks they are meant to protect.  Dogs days indeed.

Which brings me to shelters and adopting a dog or cat or guinea pig or any animal up for adoption.  My local NBC New channel WRC is starting a Help Clear the Shelters program, which I thought was a wonderful idea.  Both Winston and Kirby are rescues and I can’t imagine my life without them, nor my hearthound rescues now gone to the rainbow bridge that came before them.  If I had room and the money, I would go for more.

How about you?  Does your budget (equally important), your house and heart have room for a four pawed, two winged or whatever shelter  animal?  Can you help clear your local shelter out? Or how about fostering?  Our shelters are overflowing with unwanted and thrown away animals.  Its heartbreaking.  And overwhelming.  Please help if you can.

Here are my two rescues…

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Presently, my dogs are inside playing like mad with their plush  toys and Dingo bones (trust me, its like doggy crack),  We were outside earlier but the wind stilled, the air heated up, and Kirby, our Irish Wheaton that he is, had to come in, even clipped, he can’t take the heat.  Winston can, but won’t leave his buddy and Willow just is ready for a nap behind me in the chair as I write up the schedule.  Home is where my dogs and books are.  Happy Reading!

 

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This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Semper Fidelis Anthology CoverUnconventional In San Diego Anthology coverPinchOfTheGame[The]FSDefinitely Maybe Yours cover

Sunday, August 9:

  • Dog Days of August and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • Sunday Afternoon Book Blast: Thianna Durston’s A Good Family Man (Corbin’s Bend,Season Three #8) (excerpt and contest)

Monday, August 10:

  • Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Author Discoveries:  Stella on Wulf Francu Godgluck
  • Cover reveal for ‘Discovery’ by Thianna Durston (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Jeri Review: Semper Fidelis Anthology
  • A BJ Review: Unconventional In San Diego Anthology
  • A MelanieM Review: The Pinch of the Game by Charley Descoteaux

Tuesday, August 11:

  • Aria Grace ‘Looking For Home’ book blast and contest
  • In the Book Spotlight: Lissa Reed ‘Definitely, Maybe, Yours’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Mika Review: Definitely Maybe Yours by Lissa Reed
  • A MelanieM Review: Overly Dramatic by Rebecca Cohen
  • A Stella Review:  Resurrecting Elliot by Cate Ashwood

Wednesday, August 12:

  • Guest Post:Against The Grain by Charlie Cochet‏ (author interview and  contest)
  • A First Look at The First Timers Anthology (excerpts and contest)
  • Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review :Not Safe for Work by Ingela Bohm
  • A Sammy Review: How to Train Your Dom in Five Easy Steps by Josephine Myles
  • A MelanieM Review: Diamonds Edge by Laura Harner (Pulp Friction 2015 story)

Thursday, August 13:

  • Morticia Knight Building Bonds Book Tour and giveaway
  • Book Spotlight: Juggernaut by Amelia C. Gormley (contest)
  • A Jeri Review: On Solid Ground by Melissa Collins
  • A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: The Harder They Fall by Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau
  • A MelanieM Review: Redesigning Max by Pat Henshaw

Friday, August 14:

  • Brina Brady ‘Don’t Throw Me Away Book tour and giveaway
  • ‘Justice for Me’ by TS McKinney and BJ Grinder Book Spotlight and contest
  • A BJ Review: The Pillar by Kim Fielding
  • A Stella Review: The Lightning-struck Heart by TJ Klune
  • A MelanieM Review: A Piece of Cake by Mary Calmes

YA Saturday, August 15:

  • A Mika YA Review:  Lucky Linus by Gene Gant

Lucky Linus coverRedesigningMaxFSThe Pillar cover

The Lightning Struck Heart cover

 

 

 

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An Aurora YA Review: Evolution by Lissa Kasey

 Rating: 5 out of 5  ★★★★★

Evolution coverGene Sage has only ever wanted to sing, but his band, Evolution, is pushing him toward the big time. He finds it hard to focus on making musical history when he’s dreaming of graveyards and seeing ghosts. And while all he can think of is hiding who he is from a world unforgiving of anyone different, he discovers he’s also the ultimate snack for vampires and demons. When Gene literally runs into—over—his idol, Kerstrande Petterson, rock god, vampire in hiding, and music cynic, his life falls over the edge into chaos.Jaded by the world and nearly a decade in the music business, Kerstrande thinks Gene wants to use him to make Evolution immortal in more than one way, but he can’t seem to brush aside the young singer’s enthusiasm.Getting involved with Kerstrande drags Gene into otherworldly power struggles. Between the ghosts stalking them, the media painting supernaturals as villains, and a vampire out of control in the city, the only way for Gene and Kerstrande to survive is for Gene to embrace his powers—and his destiny.I really, really enjoyed this book. One of my favorite things about the book was the descriptions. Straight away I had a very clear picture in my head of everything that was going on and that’s one of my favorite things about reading. It can, however, be hard to toe the line between using enough description that a reader can clearly picture the scene and using too much and having your story get bogged down in it which I don’t believe happened in this book at all.

Another thing I really enjoyed about the book was the two point of views for the two different main characters every chapter. It really made them both, especially Kerstrande, more likable and relatable to be able to see what was going on in both of their heads in their own unique voices rather than seeing the entire book through one’s eyes over the other’s.
If I had to nitpick, there was some exposition toward the beginning that slowed the first one or two chapters down, but it wasn’t something I really had a problem with since as soon as the plot got under way the book got right back to a good pace and I was certainly never bored by it, even in the first chapter or two when there was a lot of information.
Overall, it was a fun read, and one that I think was very well written. I would recommend it to people who like supernatural themes and modern fantasies.
The cover art was done by Paul Richmond and I really like it. It’s a pretty simplistic cover, but it has a lot of color and personality. It’s very eye-catching which is something that can always be helpful to a book. All in all, very well done.
Sales Links:  DSP Publications |  Amazon | Buy It Here
Book Details:
DSP Publications (a non romance imprint of Dreamspinner)
2nd Edition, first edition Harmony Ink Press
Release Date: July 28, 2015
Words: 71336
Pages: 250
ISBN-13: 978-1-63476-061-4
File Formats: epub, mobi, pdf
Coming Soon: “Evolution: Genesis”

A MelanieM Review: Redemption (Diversion #5) by Eden Winters

Rating: 5 stars out of 5       ★★★★★

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000035_00023]Living is the easy part.

Agent Lucky Lucklighter and his partner escaped Mexico alive, only to plunge into bureaucratic fallout from their mission. Hell, maybe Lucky should have stayed south of the border. Especially when the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau places Bo into rehab, and Lucky’s facing both therapy and an inquiry into a fatal shooting. Watching over his shoulder for a vengeful drug lord or a cartel don calling in favors leaves him scarcely able to imagine a future for them as agents, or as a couple.

Bo Schollenberger once had a vision for their life together, but he’s bowed beneath the weight of his undercover work. Lucky’s hanging on by his deeply chewed fingernails, clinging to hope by making Bo’s dreams of a home into reality. The last thing he needs is a phone call from a dangerous man who knows too much, summoning him back to Mexico for “an early Christmas present.”

Not when the SNB brass asks tough questions, like “How well do you know your partner?”

I am so in love with this book that if I had a copy in paperback I would be drawing little hearts all over it like a schoolgirl.  You know, those big fat ones drawn with pink or red markers.  Silly?  You bet.  Heartfelt?  Absolutely.

You see this is the book I needed to read after all the pain and anguish that Eden Winters put Lucky and Bo through in Manipulation. Boy, was that a tough book to read.  Beautifully written, brutally realistic, gritty and painful.  And it left the boys in a dark and wounded place.

Now comes their recovery.  We see how Bo and Lucky are dealing with the physical and emotional aftermath of the events in Mexico and their situation is devastating at every level.  As it should be. Again the author doesn’t try to sugar coat what those events cost Bo.  Forced with drug addiction again, then the pain of withdrawal, the struggle for sobriety and then to face how he felt under the influence and then after.  Winters lets this overwhelming tide of fury,pain, and remorse pour over her readers as well as Bo and Lucky.  Its effect is immediate and heartrending.

In addition to having Bo in pain, there is the trauma of killing a human being that Lucky has to deal with.  So many issues that  strike at the core of who these men think they are with the potential to shatter those images. As can be imagined the cost to Bo and Lucky’s relationship is high as well. For them to get themselves back together as a couple and as partners is struggle that we are as emotionally invested in as they are because we have seen what is has taken for them to trust each each and get to the stage that each is ready for a permanent, lasting relationship, one neither thought they would ever have.  It has taken four  books, bloodshed, and a ton of bullets and name changes!

Redemption is a more relationship/character driven story than either of the books that came before.  And while I  love those  novels, I loved this even more because it concentrated on Bo and Lucky’s relationship as  well as Lucky’s mental health.  Sometimes Lucky’s mental state gets overlooked when dealing with Bo’s frailties but not this time.  Eden Winters adds in some remarkable elements.  One, a new character named Moose.  Won’t spoil who Moose is but prepare to fall in love.  Secondly, Lucky gets a bestie.  Yes, I know Bo is Lucky’s best friend as well as lover but sometimes Lucky needs someone more and here he gets it in a character  I just plain out adore.  In fact, Rett’s so damn wonderful I could see her getting her own story and fan  following.  Rett is 6 feet of tattooed attitude magic! We’ve  seen her before but here in Redemption she snarks, sizzles, punches and comes to life in a way that makes you love her.

This story while lacking the action/suspense makes up for it in the sheer emotional heft, depth and beauty of Bo and Lucky’s slow rebuilding of themselves and their relationship to the stage they can go forward once more.  Winter’s dialog snaps and sings with the colloquialisms and thoughts that make staying in Lucky’s head such a mesmerizing journey and often so much fun.  I often find myself wanting to pull up a chair next to Delores, grab an extra cat or two and watch the goings on along with her.  These characters long ago stopped being paper beings and become people I cared about.

Then at the end, Eden Winters delivers the final cherry on top and ties up one more loose plot thread in a way that’s so satisfying, so fabulous I was quite beside myself.  The best news  yet?  There are three more books planned  for the series and the next is called Reunion!

Haven’t read any of Eden Winters Diversion series?  Don’t start here.  They need to be read in order because the relationship are slow to develop and the events follow a  specific time line.  I highly recommend them all.

Cover art by L. C. Chase.  I like this new cover.  Modern and crisp.

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

Book Details:

ebook, First
Expected publication: August 8th 2015 by Rocky Ridge Books (first published August 2015)
original titleRedemption
seriesDiversion #5

Diversion Series in the order they were written and should be read:

 

 

A Mika Review: Ink and Shadows (Ink and Shadows #1) by Rhys Ford

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Kismet Andreas lives in fear of the shadows.

Ink & Shadows coverFor the young tattoo artist, the shadows hold more than darkness. He is certain of his insanity because the dark holds creatures and crawling things only he can see—monsters who hunt out the weak to eat their minds and souls, leaving behind only empty husks and despair.

And if there’s one thing Kismet fears more than being hunted—it’s the madness left in its wake.

The shadowy Veil is Mal’s home. As Pestilence, he is the youngest—and most inexperienced—of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, immortal manifestations resurrected to serve—and cull—mankind. Invisible to all but the dead and insane, the Four exist between the Veil and the mortal world, bound to their nearly eternal fate. Feared by other immortals, the Horsemen live in near solitude but Mal longs to know more than Death, War and Famine.

Mal longs to be… more human. To interact with someone other than lunatics or the deceased.

When Kismet rescues Mal from a shadowy attack, Pestilence is suddenly thrust into a vicious war—where mankind is the prize, and the only one who has faith in Mal is the human the other Horsemen believe is destined to die.

More solid writing from Rhys Ford in Ink and Shadows. I love her writing style. I think this is the lowest rating I’ve given one of her books. Well it’s not the writing or the story, it was me. I could not get into it, and I’m sad that I wasn’t able to grasp it like I would have liked to. I went into this book knowing UF  (urban fantasy) is not really my thing. I liked a lot of the story. I loved the introductions of all the characters. I liked the religious aspects of some of it. I wish the world building and I would have gotten along more. I don’t have the patience for UF, and a lot of this story was slow paced, and just reading about the foundation of how everything has come about.

At the 50% I felt an inkling of joy for the romance portion of this book. Just inkling. There NO romance in the story. I really like Rhys Ford and picked this story up expecting some romance but didn’t realize that DSP Publications is an imprint that doesn’t publish romance stories. Being that this is not a romance story I felt like the emotional part was lacking a lot in the story. Kismet and Mal both had the potential that I like when it comes to her guys, but again it’s UF and that was  the focus for the story. I know she wrote the characters to be built up for a series. It makes sense to have the introductions, and characters relationships out in the opening. I just wanted a smidge more.

I think for myself when it comes to Rhys Ford I’m very biased about her characters. I want them all to have that Cole & Jae love aspect, but it doesn’t work like that. My favorite thing about this book was Mal. Reading about him, he just seemed so young, and innocent in the beginning, but he has this protective streak a mile long with Kismet. I love that name as well. I thought the Four is a really good concept; it’s something I’m familiar with. I loved Death; his entire persona had me thinking of Supernatural’s Death who is my favorite Horseman ever. I’d recommend this to readers of UF. This is a perfect book for them. Great intro to the story, as well as characters.

Cover Art by Anne Cain: This cover is definitely one of my favorite out the year. I loved it, such a in your face representation of what Kismet is in the book. Very beautiful.

Sales Links:  DSP Publications |  Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 304 pages
Published July 7th 2015 by DSP Publications
original titleInk and Shadows
ISBN139781634760171
edition languageEnglish
seriesInk and Shadows #1

Its SciFy Friday with Chris T. Kat! Author Interview , New Release Breeding Stations (Alliances #1) and a Giveaway!

BreedingStations

Breeding Stations (Alliances #1) by Chris T. Kat
Release Date: July 27, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

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Sales Links: Dreamspinner eBook & Paperback | Amazon | All Romance (ARe) |

My Interview with Chris T. Kat On Pets!

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

Tell us about your pets – past or present. Pictures are a must! (Not really, but they would be welcome.)

Do you know those kids that always wanted to have pets, but the parents didn’t allow it? Yep, I’m one of those, although it was only my mother who was against it. My stepfather simply bypassed her by bringing me a pair of SL271818guinea pigs one day. Of course, my mother wasn’t happy at first, but at least she tolerated them. I’m not sure I still have pictures of them, but their names were Ricky and Domingo. Since then, I’ve had guinea pigs pretty much all the time. For the past 13 years, we always had two boys. At the moment, we only have one guinea pig named Sam.sam He’s an old fellow now, and loves to cuddle and sleep in the curve of our arms. As soon as he needs to go pee, he alerts us by pulling at our clothes—that can get a bit painful during summer months, when he nips at our skin.

SL271828As I said we usually had two guinea pigs, and whenever one of them died due to age or illness, we got a new one. But after our Sky died last year, our kids didn’t want a new one. Sky had been very friendly to everyone: he came when you called him, and he always hopped and ran around. He was a real character, and we still miss him. We still have our Sam, and hope he’ll be around for some time in the future.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Spunky commander Berit Turner is known for two things: his huge libido and his lack of a filter—he says what he thinks. Berit sets his mind on being part of the mission to Ligador, to make sure the planet is habitable for humans. He’s ecstatic when his team is assigned to the task force. A delegation of Nadisc, a humanoid alien race, accompanies them, and passion ignites between Berit and their commanding officer, Tom. But Berit is determined that Tom is just another notch on his bedpost, as he doesn’t do relationships.

The excursion to Ligador goes wrong from the beginning, when they discover Ligador has been established as a breeding station by their worst enemy: the Tash’Ba. Dinosaur-like creatures become the team’s worst nightmare, and staying alive is going to take everything they’ve got… and then some.

Pages or Words: 204 pages or about 65,000 words

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Categories: M/M Romance, Science Fiction

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter Two

Several alarmed shouts warned me of something going on, but I had no time to process what happened. Something roped around my waist and yanked me over to the side. I crashed into Tom’s chest as a harsh growling sound erupted from his throat.

I tried jerking myself free, but he held onto my wrists with one hand, while his tail kept me tethered to his body. “What the hell?”

Niyara squared off in front of Tom, her dark eyes gleaming with an eerie, demonic red glint where her pupils should’ve been. Her long tail swished from one side to the other and her arm muscles flexed.

“What the ever-loving fuck is going on?” I asked.

“Quiet!” Tom hissed.

My mouth fell open, and I gaped at him. Okay. Enough was enough. I caught the tip of his tail in my hand and pinched it—hard. He roared, but I used the chance to slip free. A Nadisc’s tail tip was the most sensitive part, which came in handy during sex but was a real disadvantage in a fight. Or maybe not. I’d never heard of someone winning a fight against a Nadisc when—

Niyara’s fist closing around my shirt stopped all my pondering. She lifted me off my feet, hissing and boring her eerie gaze into mine. Maybe I should’ve stayed with Tom. He’d felt slightly less dangerous than she did.

Carson appeared next to Niyara’s side, eyes as large as saucers but an equally determined look on his face. He reached out. As soon as he touched her arm, her head whirled around. I held my breath. Would he be able to save me from Niyara’s wrath? She’d seemed rather taken with him earlier. What the hell had I done, anyway, to agitate her?

As I wracked my brain, Carson and Niyara gazed at each other. The next instant he rose on tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

She let go of my shirt, and I would’ve landed flat on my ass if Tom hadn’t snatched me around the waist. Niyara rested her head on Carson’s shoulder, which meant she had to stoop because of her height. No one said anything, and no one moved for what seemed like a long time. When she lifted her head, several people—including me—hissed, afraid of what she’d do next.

Niyara bowed her head toward Tom. “I apologize for my outburst. I’ve never encountered a jealousy spell before.”

“Jealousy spell?” I echoed.

She gazed at me, suddenly looking sheepish. “Feeling such a strong connection is new to me, and I didn’t like Carson using an endearment toward you.”

I blinked, then looked over at Carson. He gawked, and his eyes were the same size as before. Would they stay like that forever?

Niyara swept an arm around to include everyone in her proclamation, which resulted in startled jerks and coughs.

“I’m claiming Carson as my mate. Anyone who’d like to object has to fight me.”

No one objected. Everyone seemed busy inspecting their boots or the ceiling. I never noticed before how very ugly the hatch’s ceiling was.

“Berit!” Carson wheezed out.

I sighed and transferred my gaze from the ceiling to Carson. “Congrats?”

Someone cheered and the others followed suit, clapping their hands to add to the noise. Carson was so pale I feared he’d faint, but Niyara cupped his face in both hands and kissed him. After that, he didn’t seem to mind that much, not anymore.

Chuckling, I told the others to open the hatch and take up their position. The hatch opened with the usual buzz, but when I started to walk, Tom’s arms around my waist tightened to an almost painful level.

“Tell them to secure the area and wait for further instructions,” he whispered into my ear.

“Dream on. I won’t do—” My words ended abruptly when the steel bands around my waist left me no room for breathing.

“Now.”

Tom allowed me more breathing room, and I gave the desired order. No one looked twice or questioned my instruction, for which I’d have been grateful on any other day, just not today. Ticking off a Nadisc was a bad idea. One of the worst, really.

We waited until everyone had cleared the hatch’s area. Tom spun me around in his arms and lifted me up until we were face-to-face.

“You accepted me as your leader on this mission, remember? That means no punching me,” I said, “or doing anything that would harm me.”

Tom’s gaze intensified, and my mouth went dry when he spread out a red and orange speckled frill around his neck. I’d read about this display, but had never seen it before. Only a few Nadisc still had those frills—most opted for surgery because it gave away their emotions too easily—and those that did had a very tight control over it.

“But it’s okay for you to hurt me?” he rasped.

I tried to reason with him. “I… look, I’m the commander here. You can’t just order me around or hold me captive, okay?”

“Niyara could’ve killed you.”

I shrugged. “She didn’t, and she’ll just have to get used to the way Carson and I talk to each other.”

The frill around his neck unfolded even more. He said, “I’m not fond of the way you talk to each other.”

I had an inkling where this conversation was headed. I had an even bigger inkling that I’d panic if Tom said anything, so I closed my eyes, wrapped my arms around his neck—over the frill, which was kind of awkward—and sought his mouth with mine.

He opened up immediately, and I dipped my tongue into his mouth, licking along his teeth and eliciting an approving hum from him. Somehow I ended up with my legs wound around him and one of his hands steadying my ass.
When we broke apart for air, he said, “I won’t forget what you did.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” I replied. His eyes lit up with interest, so I added, “Deal?”

“Deal.”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat
Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon gift card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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The Sirius’ Wolf Pack is back in Broken Circle by Victoria Sue (excerpt and giveaway)

Orion 2

Broken Circle (Sirius’ Wolves #2) by Victoria Sue
Release Date: July 31, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dark Hollows Press
Cover Artist: 3 Rusted Spoons

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Sales Links:

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Blaze, the most powerful werewolf on the planet has found his omega, Aden. Together with Conner and Darric they finally become true mates, fulfilling an ancient prophecy by the goddess Sirius and forming Orion’s Circle. The battle against the terrorist group, the Winter Circle, has begun.

Blaze, however, is fighting his own battle. Aden is due to birth a child, and despite Blaze’s six hundred years of being an Alpha, nothing has prepared him for his hardest challenge yet — how to become a father. His struggles are hurting the people he loves the most and threatening their bond.

The madman who kidnapped and tortured Aden still hasn’t been caught, and when the worst happens and their circle is broken, Blaze has to fight his biggest threat yet – his own inner weakness – an enemy against which his Alpha strength will be useless. Blaze has to learn that true strength is only found in forgiveness, and sometimes the most powerful weapon is love.

Pages or Words: 47,000 words

Categories: M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, Paranormal

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

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STRW Author Bio and Contacts

MM Love stories – because the only thing better than one hot guy is two of them.

Has loved books for as long as she can remember. Books were always what pocket money went on and what usually Father Christmas brought. When she ran out of her kids’ adventure stories, she would go raid her mom’s. By the age of eight she was devouring classics like Little Women, and fell in love with love stories.
She’s still in love with them. Any size, any shape, any creature – love is love, no matter what it says on the box.
In fact if they don’t fit very neatly into any box she loves them even more!
She has a very patient husband and three wonderful children. In 2010 in search of adventure they all moved from the UK to the US and are happily settled in Florida. Finally, after reading love stories for so long, she decided to write her own.

Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/victoriasueauthor
Twitter: @vickysuewrites
Blog: http://www.victoriasue.com

 

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Any book from Victoria Sue’s catalogue of books
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Tour Dates & Stops:
3-Aug
BFD Book Blog, Full Moon Dreaming, Inked Rainbow Reads
4-Aug
MM Good Book Reviews, The Blogger Girls
5-Aug
Bayou Book Junkie, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
6-Aug
Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Prism Book Alliance
7-Aug
Molly Lolly, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Love Bytes

 

A Jeri Review: Fireworks by Aimer Boyz

Rating: 2.5 Stars out of 5

Fireworks coverLike the Broadway show tune, Daniel Fine prefers his relationships to be for “One Night Only”— hot, hard, and gone the next morning. Daniel is looking to never, ever be in a relationship again. He’s been there, done that, and has the scars to prove it. And then he meets Steven …

Steven is looking for that forever relationship; someone who matters, someone to come home to.

So, of course, they want each other.

Daniel has baggage, eight years of baggage, to be exact. He has an ex-partner, rampant trust issues and a recently developed allergy to anything real, anything beyond the heat of writhing bodies. Steven is starting over; new city, new job. He has worked hard to recover from a hurt hidden in his past, but unlike Daniel, he still has faith in the possibility of forever.

Can mutual lust become mutual trust? Can for now become forever? Fireworks explores what it takes to be truly happy.

Fireworks by Aimer Boyz is kind of a mess, but underneath a good story.

Steven and Daniel are polar opposites; an Oscar and Felix if you will. One neat, the other a slob. One blonde, the other dark. One with an overbearing, meddling Jewish family, the other with bohemian parents whom he rarely sees. And yet, they are drawn together.

What I did really like? It was a good love story. We watched them evolve from strangers ignoring their attraction to each other to lovers afraid to admit their feelings for each other. They went through their issues- mistrust, old partners, meddling families and friends, but they persevere. There was angst but it wasn’t roll your eyes ridiculous.

The sex was steamy and yet realistic. And there was a lot of it! “My house” both made me chuckle, but also totally made sense from the character’s thought process. At times rough, at times tender, but always loving.
Ok, what I didn’t like. It was just too much. You meet probably 10 plus characters in the first chapter. My head was spinning. And while I like a bit of a story with the side characters, I feel like too much time was spent on them- especially his sisters. There was a ton of detail in some scenes, then turn the page and it is several months later.

I am going to recommend the book because of the main characters and the story. But it really needs a good editor.

Cover art Review.Although pretty basic, the cover with the two main characters really helps paint a picture in your mind of who you are reading about.

Sales Links:    | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 466 pages
Published August 11th 2014 by Lulu Publishing Services (first published July 23rd 2014)
ISBN 1483413683 (ISBN13: 9781483413686)
edition language English

A MelanieM Review: Groomzilla by Tere Michaels

Review: 3.75  stars out of 5

Groomzilla coverWhen drama threatens to ruin a romance on a reality show, only a true friend can save a groomzilla’s wedding.

Daniel Green, an event planner with a neat, quiet, orderly life, reluctantly agrees to plan the wedding of his childhood friend Ander, an outrageous fashion designer soon to marry a wealthy entertainment lawyer named Rafe. To complicate matters, the happy couple have agreed to have their wedding made into a reality show—something that practical Daniel isn’t sold on.

Daniel is neither a romantic nor a wedding planner, but he’s the only person in the world who can manage Ander. Distracting him from his mission is Owen Grainger, a too-handsome-to-be-true producer whose quiet charm pulls Daniel into his orbit.

When the stress of the show triggers bad behavior from Ander, co-producer Victor Pierce decides it’s the key to a ratings bonanza, and he begins to undermine Ander and Rafe’s relationship to create more drama. Daniel is determined to protect his friend and his own reputation, but when he finds himself falling hard for Owen, there’s much more at stake than ratings.

Tere Michaels is a author who can tear at my heart with her characters and stories, her just concluded Faith, Love, and Devotion series is a perfect example of that.  So I was curious to see if she could deliver light hearted romance as well.

She does.  Tere Michaels style.

That means that angst, a pinch of sadness and a dash of anxiety gets thrown in with the humor and lighthearted romance.  It all starts with Daniel Green, an event planner with an unhappy childhood only made bearable by a boarding school friend Anders who is now Daniel’s only family.  Ander’s childhood is equally painful and they became each other’s support and heart sibling despite their startling differences in appearance and behavior.  Now Ander is getting married and wants Daniel to plan the wedding as well as be his best man.  Oh, and it’s all a part of a new reality online series.  What could go wrong?

That would be everything.

Daniel and Ander are both two damaged men who have worked through their issues, mostly, to become men who understand themselves and each other.  I loved Daniel, he’s worked hard to get where he is, with his own business, a degree from Harvard but he realizes that he’s starting to coast.  Ander is smarter than his extravagant exterior and I love the surprises that his character continues to deliver throughout the narrative, especially when you least expect it.  They are exactly the type of characters Tere Michaels does best.  Daniel and Ander look so different on the outside, one sort of nicely average, the other peacocky gorgeous, and yet so alike underneath where it counts. The author makes them believable, flawed, and so likable it hurts at times.

Ah, Daniel and Ander. Their relationship dynamics are the heart of the story, not the romance between Daniel and Owen, or even Ander and his fiance Rafe, and that’s probably why I didn’t connect as much as I did with Daniel and Owen.  It was because I was already invested emotionally in the deep friendship of Daniel and Ander and the wedding from hell.  I was so  caught up in what this wedding was doing to their friendship that it almost made everything else extraneous.  I also needed a little more of the Rafe/Ander dynamic, although what I had was delicious, especially those scenes  at the end.  And Victor felt exactly like a reality show “villain” and I couldn’t make my mind up where that  was good or bad.

Owen? Yes, I liked Owen even if I felt I didn’t get to “know” him as completely as I did the others.   I certainly could see him as part of Daniel’s life.  Perhaps if Daniel and Owen had their own story after Groomzilla and left this  one to Daniel, Ander, and Rafe,  that would have made me completely satisfied.  But that’s not how Tere Michaels wrote it, so I will say I loved so many portions of this story, and  the ending left  me  misty eyed and smiling. Those scenes with the video felt as “in the moment” as anything in the story.  These scenes were “character capsules”, delivering a punch of emotion that I had been  waiting for and now got. These were the people I  wanted more of, the ones I had gotten fewer glimpses of as the catastrophe of a wedding starts to overtake the story (pretty realistic element), ones that Daniel was missing too.  Really,that’s was wonderful thing to work into this plot. How the stress  can make the best of us go a little crazy and maybe even lose sight of who we are and who we love.

Oh, Tere Michael, how I love your writing, characters, and storylines. Not familiar with this author? Groomzilla is a fun place to start. I think you will fall in love with Daniel, Ander and Groomzilla.  I know I did.

 

Cover art by Anna Sikorska is cute but suffers from model use overload.  That dark-haired model is everywhere, from books about chefs (more than one) to geeks in love.  He’s cute but over used. This cover makes me think of other books instead of this one. A definite no no.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 160 pages
Expected publication: August 10th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781634761833

Our Pat Henshaw Interview and Book Spotlight! Redesigning Max
 (Foothills Pride #2) by Pat Henshaw

RedesigningMaxFS

Redesigning Max
 (Foothills Pride #2) by Pat Henshaw
Release Date: July 29, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyG

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Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Author Interview

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Pat Henshaw, author of Redesigning Max.

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

Hi! I’m originally from Nebraska and have lived all over the U. S., landing here in Northern California. Now retired, I’ve held a number of jobs including theatrical costuming for the Alley Theatre in Houston, public relations for radio and television at WETA in D. C., and teaching English composition at a junior college in California.

Redesigning Max, the second of the Foothills Pride novellas, revolves around the unlikely pair of interior designer and architect Fredi Zimmer and the CEO of an outdoors equipment store and wildlife guide Max Greene. When he hires Fredi to redesign and update his Sierra Mountain mountain cabin, Max finds his life and heart undergoing a makeover too.

Not everyone in the small Stone Acres, California, community is as excited about Max and Fredi getting together as the guys are. Because Max’s been in the closet so long, he not only has to convince his friends that he’s gay but he also has to convince Fredi, who keeps getting mixed signals from him.

Do you have pictures that you use for your characters? Can you share them with us?

Yes, for this book, in my head I saw Fredi as Chris Colfer, so I watched a number of Glee episodes as well aschris-colfer-2012-tribeca-film-festival-04 ArronEckhartlooked at the accompanying photo of Chris. Max always looked like Aaron Eckhart with the addition of a droopy mustache to me and sounded like Sam Elliot.

What kind of book would you like to write that people would see as a huge departure for you?

I’d love to be able to write a children’s or YA book. Since I’ve never tried to write either one, they would be a larger-than-life departure for me. I’ve already tackled murder mysteries, fantasy (self-published The Vampire’s Food Chain about a vampire becoming a god), and het romance (as well as my gay romance Foothills Pride series).

Have you ever killed a character? Was it traumatic for you? If you haven’t killed one, would you ever consider it?

Not in the Foothills Pride series, no. I don’t think I’ll be killing off anyone in any of the gay romances I write. I have killed off characters in my futuristic fantasy novel, The Vampire’s Food Chain, but he was a vampire who needed killing. And when I was writing murder mysteries, well, a dead body is de rigueur, right?

Favorite location you’ve ever written about?

I like the Sierra Foothills where I’ve set the Foothills Pride series. I was particularly pleased when a friend of mine who grew up in the foothills told me I’d gotten the places and the people right. In fact, she said she knew Lorraine and Bud’s Rock Bottom Café really well. Since I hadn’t based it on any one place, I took that as a compliment. The last time we drove around the foothills I was saddened to see to see the place which I used as Guy’s Stonewall Saloon in What’s in a Name? wasn’t a bar anymore. It seems to be a warehouse now. Darn.

Introduce us to characters from a work in progress

Adam, the main character in When Adam Fell, is a renowned celebrity chef who walked away from his high-profile job in San Francisco to open a small foothills restaurant, Sierra Bistro. There he cooks a one seating prix fixe meal four times a week for friends, celebraties, and millionaires from the Lake Tahoe and San Francisco Bay Areas. Before he turned his back on the San Francisco gig, he was the host of his own cooking show on TV and had written a couple of bestselling cookbooks. Why he left his high-profile job and what he’s going to do next with his life are the focal points of his book.

Thanks, Pat, for stopping by and for the great interview!  Please come back!

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Renowned interior designer Fredi Zimmer is surprised when outdoorsman Max Greene, owner of Greene’s Hunting and Fishing, hires him to remodel his rustic cabin in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Fredi is an out and proud Metro male whose contact with the outdoors is from his car to the doorway of the million-dollar homes’ he remodels, and Max is just too hunky gorgeous for words.

When Max starts coming on to Fredi, the designer can’t imagine why. But he’s game to put a little spice into Max’s life, even if it’s just in the colors and fixtures he’ll use to turn Max’s dilapidated rustic cabin into a showplace. Who can blame a guy for adding a little sensual pleasure as he retools Max’s life visually?

Max, for his part, is grateful when Fredi takes him in hand, both metaphorically and literally. Coming out, he finds is the most exciting and wonderful time of his life, despite the conservative former friends who want to stop his slide into hell.

Pages or Words: 73 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Romance

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STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

 

By the time we got to the Rock Bottom Cafe, I felt like I’d bottomed out. I was hungry, tired, and feeling the first twinges of a headache.
Max hadn’t exaggerated about how much I’d hate the Rock Bottom’s decor. It was the worst of rural cafe: hellacious plastic flowers, grotesque plastic-covered booths, peeling gangrene-painted beadboard walls, pockmarked linoleum floor, and faded food-stained menus. It made the cabin look almost palatial, except it didn’t smell as bad.
As Max slid into one side of a booth and I into the other, he said, “Food’s great here. Okay?”
I glared at him, but I had to admit the odors coming from the kitchen wove seductively around us.
After we’d ordered and had gotten glasses of iced tea, which I liberally dosed with artificial sweetener, Max leaned back in his side of the booth and blew out a little breath.
“So guess here’s what you need to know about me.” He was looking at the tabletop. “I was an only kid when my folks died. Raised by my aunt and uncle with their four boys. I was the youngest and nobody cared what I thought, so I don’t talk much.”
Oh dear. I wasn’t sure which of those statements I should answer, if any. My heart bled for the beautiful man in front of me who would give me a raging hard-on if I let my libido take control.
His words and lack of self-pity made me want to create a unique space where he’d feel completely at home and that would soothe him when he needed it. I probably wouldn’t end up his BFF or someone he could unbend with, but I could create a warm cocoon to shelter and coddle the man or let him entertain his friends comfortably.
The image of the young Max feeling like an outsider when he was thrust on his uncaring aunt and uncle to raise was banished by the waitress who put lunch in front of us.
“Oh. My. God!” I nearly drooled into the chili and homemade bread as I tasted them. “This is incredible.”
“What’d I tell you?” Max gloated. “Said you shouldn’t be put off by the decor. Some of us are more than our decor.”
I spooned up a couple of bites, then looked at Max. “You really do think I’m a snob, don’t you?”
Why was it so easy to get him to blush? I hadn’t a clue, but his quick, mercurial red cheeks had me intrigued.
“No, no, I don’t think you’re a snob,” he protested. “I mean, you’re just so….” He waved a couple of fingers at me, but kept his elbows on the table as if protecting his bowl of chili.
“I’m so what?”
Max shrugged. “I don’t know. Beautiful. And fancy,” he added, ducking his head over his bowl.
Ah, I understood now. Max was intimidated by my suit.
“Look, you came to get me in the coffee shop. I was dressed to take a rich lady through her house later this afternoon. I can work in jeans and a T-shirt”—did Max think I wore suits every day?—“or anything I want. Pajamas even. You just caught me on a suit day.” Which, I didn’t add, was too often for even my overblown sense of style.
Now Max was staring at me.
“Yeah, right. You wear jeans,” he scoffed, but looked interested, intrigued.
I shrugged. “Okay, not when I’m with a client. At home I’m way more casual.” I might have sounded a tad defensive.
“Yeah, right,” Max muttered with a grin.
I left it lying there. It wasn’t worth fighting about. But it bothered me that he saw such a divide between us. I was just a man, wasn’t I? Just like him, right? What was he going on about? Sheesh.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride series, was born in Nebraska but promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat has visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and regularly travels to Rome, Italy, and Eugene, Oregon, to see family.

Now retired, Pat has taught English composition at the junior college level; written book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helped students find information as a librarian; and promoted PBS television programs.

Pat has raised two incredible daughters who daily amaze everyone with their power and compassion. Pat’s supported by a husband who keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away writing fiction.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.henshaw.10
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6998437.Patois
Book website: http://whatsinanamenovella.blogspot.com
Website: http://patbooked.blogspot.com
E-mail: whatsinanamenovella@comcast.net
Tumblr: http://phenshaw.tumblr.com/
Twitter: @phenshaw

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 Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: One of three $10 Starbucks Gift Cards.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Tour Dates & Stops:
29-Jul
Bike Book Reviews
Rainbow Gold Reviews
Hearts on Fire

30-Jul
Nephylim
Bayou Book Junkie

31-Jul
Parker Williams

3-Aug
Mikky’s World of Books
Prism Book Alliance

4-Aug
Velvet Panic
Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

5-Aug
Happily Ever Chapter
Jessie G. Books

6-Aug
Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

7-Aug
Inked Rainbow Reads
MM Good Book Reviews

10-Aug
Molly Lolly

11-Aug
The Novel Approach
Divine Magazine