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Can Forgiveness Be A Path to Love? Find out with Black & Blühe (Out of the Blue #2) by RJ Jones

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Black & Blühe (Out of the Blue #2) by RJ Jones
Release Date: July 31, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Vivid Blue Press
Cover Artist: Meredith Russell

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Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Smashwords | Amazon

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Grayson Black has never forgiven himself for not saving his identical twin brother, Jet, from a savage beating at their father’s hands ten years ago. Jet’s near-death never would have happened if Gray hadn’t been so focused on his boyfriend at the time. He has sworn to take care of his brother ever since. Gray can’t afford a distraction from his self-imposed mission, the type of distraction presented by the gorgeous blond showing up at their gigs.

Kris Larson is a firefighter with the San Francisco Fire Department. Since splitting from his girlfriend, his favorite way to spend nights off is watching the Black Brothers play in the bars of the Bay Area, especially the guitarist. But it’s not until the brothers are left homeless after a fire at their apartment building that Kris has the opportunity to know the real person behind the brooding façade.

Gray fights his attraction to Kris, but with a meddlesome twin who just wants him to be happy, it’s a losing battle. Before Gray and Kris can have a lasting relationship, though, Gray must learn to forgive himself, let go of the past, and lay more than one demon to rest.

Pages or Words: 57,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Erotica, M/M Romance, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

I DOZED most of the way back to Richmond, Kris waking me up every now and then to check on me. I woke once and saw the exit to a local hospital, but when we didn’t take it, I looked at Kris and raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not taking you to a hospital. I’m having the hospital come to you.” This confused me for a second, but all I could focus on was the fact I wasn’t going to an emergency department. After spending so much time in one with Jet, there was no way I was ever going to voluntarily go to one myself. Between having Kris next to me and the gentle rocking of the truck, not to mention a throbbing head, it was hard to stay awake.
We pulled into the drive of the Larson home and Kris was quick to exit the truck and pick me up once more. Carrying me through the front door, we were immediately bombarded with my brother’s concerned voice.
“Oh. My. God. What the hell happened? Holy shit, Gray, are you okay? What… what…?” I grabbed Jet’s hand to reassure him as Kris placed me on the couch.
“Ease up, bro, I’m fine. Twisted my ankle is all.”
“And he smacked his head and has a concussion.”
“Ugh, thanks, Kris.”
“You’re welcome.”
Carol came in and made a fuss, grabbing a bag of peas and easing my foot onto an ottoman. Jet and Carol were making a palaver, talking about hospitals and why I wasn’t already at one. I heard Kris mention something about a Dr. Nichols arriving soon, but with the madness going on around me, I tuned them out. Carol seemed relieved upon hearing the doctor’s name and stopped fussing, then went into the kitchen and returned with a bag of corn for my head.
A minute later there was a knock at the door and I heard someone being ushered inside, muttering something about an idiot who was “always slipping on the same damn rock.”
“Oh, my apologies. I thought it was Kris I was seeing.” Dr. Nichols chuckled as he crouched on the floor next to me. He pulled a penlight out of his black doctor’s bag and waved it in my eyes. I squinted at the intrusion to my pupils while he peppered me with questions.
I was aware of everyone standing around, watching. Kris stood off to the side, and out of my peripheral vision I could see the strained look on his face. I sensed he was staying out of the way, not wanting to encroach on what the doctor was doing, but close enough to keep an eye on me. The doctor continued to prod and poke my head, flash the penlight at me some more and ask the same questions. I guess he just wanted to be sure. I insisted I felt fine, just a headache, no nausea or dizziness, but my ankle hurt the worst.
I shouldn’t have mentioned my ankle, because next thing I knew, the doctor was poking that too, and it hurt like a bitch. After he wrote a prescription for some pain meds, a note for work, and bandaged my ankle, the doctor turned his attention to Kris.
“You know what to look for, don’t you, Kris?”
Kris nodded once. “I do.”
“Excellent, he has a mild concussion and a sprained ankle. I expect his ankle is going to give him the most pain, but keep an eye on his head just to be on the safe side. You can never be too careful with head injuries.”
After a few minutes of the doctor talking with Doug and Carol and making Kris promise to take me to the ER if my condition worsened, he waved goodbye and saw himself out the door. Jet was immediately next me, looking all concerned and flustered, his own injury probably at the forefront of his mind.

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

RJ Jones

RJ started as a reader and eventually made the progression to reviewing. It wasn’t until two men popped into her thoughts, insisting on telling her their story that she started to write. It started with one scene. A hot and dirty one in the shower.
RJ’s initial thought was if she could write their scene then they’d shut up and allow her to concentrate on other aspects of the day. That shower scene was 3000 words long and three hours of work.  But they didn’t shut up.  They told her their entire story and she didn’t sleep for days.  Sometimes she couldn’t keep up with what they were telling her and she had to keep a notebook by the bed.

Whilst RJ was writing their story a side character decided he needed his story told too. Then other characters followed suit.
You see the problem? If RJ ever wants to sleep again then she needs to write.

RJ is a wife and a mother to two boys. Even her dog is a boy.

She is surrounded by males.

RJ writes emotionally charged, character driven romances. Her guys will always get their HEA, but it will never be easy.

Where to find me

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 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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Tour Dates & Stops:
27-Jul
Prism Book Alliance
28-Jul
Hearts on Fire
Bayou Book Junkie
29-Jul
Jessie G. Books
30-Jul
Carly’s Book Reviews
The Hat Party
31-Jul
Love Bytes
3-Aug
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
4-Aug
My Fiction Nook
5-Aug
The Novel Approach
6-Aug
Just Love Romance
7-Aug
Molly Lolly
Parker Williams

In the Book Spotlight: The Camp by Victoria Zagar (excerpt and giveaway)

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The Camp by Victoria Zagar
Release Date: August 5, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Prizm Books
Cover Artist: BSClay

Sales Links:   Torquere Books  | Amazon

Blurb:

Jesse Harvan comes home from school one day to find his parents have discovered the gay pornographic magazine hidden under his bed. Disgusted, they decide to send Jesse to Camp Grady, a summer camp which prides itself on converting people’s sexuality.

Once at the camp, Jesse meets the other inmates: Charlie, a disabled African-American gay teenager, Natalie, a transgender girl, her sister Lita, Japanese lesbian Sakura, and last of all, Minister Grady’s son Jacob, who works for the camp under duress. These teens must learn to bridge their differences and get along if they’re to beat their common enemy and keep their identities–and sanity–intact.

Pages or Words: 27,600 words

Categories: Contemporary, LGBT Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Transexual, Lesbian Romance, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

I sit in the back of an old school bus that has been converted for the camp’s use. It rankles that I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Sam. Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me near him. I tried to send him an e-mail, but it was blocked. I didn’t have time to figure out how their new family-filter software worked. The next morning, I was on a plane to Pennsylvania, Mom and Dad accompanying me like this was some kind of family vacation. They left me at the airport and went their own way, transferring me directly to camp custody so that I wouldn’t get infected with any gay on the way.

I know I’ll be going back home eventually, but it doesn’t feel like it right now. I feel like Camp Grady will go on forever. My greatest fear is that the me who goes home won’t be the same as the one sitting here right now.

What if they can change me? What if they do have the power to fix me? That thought in my head argues with its natural opposite: I’m not broken. I won’t change. There’s nothing they can do to change who I am.

Last night I scared myself. I went onto the Internet and looked up ex-gay camps, which surprisingly were not filtered out. There are people who claim that they work. That they’ve thrown away partners, friends, and husbands because they’ve been ‘cured’. I read reports of abuse and beatings that made my stomach clench. I cried myself to sleep for the first time in a long time. I’m genuinely scared. How can something like this be legal? Apparently in California it isn’t. I wish I was a San Francisco kid. Maybe then my parents would be cool, and I wouldn’t feel so alone in the world.

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About the author:

Victoria was born in the United Kingdom but emigrated to the United States at age 21. She’s bisexual, genderqueer, happily married, and still shouts in a British accent. She lives with her husband in Pennsylvania where she spends a lot of time playing and talking about video games, especially Japanese role-playing games.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synthesislandale
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/infinitelovefiction
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/landale
Website http://victoriazagar.com


Tour Dates & Stops: August 3, 2015
Parker Williams, MM Good Book Reviews, Just Love Romance, Jessie G. Books, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Full Moon Dreaming, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, My Fiction Nook, Ogitchida Book Blog, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘The Camp’ by Victoria Zagar Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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In the Book Spotlight: The Homecoming by J. Scott Coatsworth (author interview and giveaway)

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The Homecoming by  J. Scott Coatsworth
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Cover Artist: London Burden
Release Date: 7/29
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Sales Link:  Less Than Three Press

My Interview with Author J. Scott Coatsworth on writing, The Homecoming and Much More

  • Tell me a little about you and your writing:

Thanks for inviting me on the blog again! I’ve known I wanted to be a writer since I was a kid in elementary school in Tucson, Arizona. I wrote my first (longhand, illustrated in crayon) short story in fourth grade – and won a writing contest. In junior high, I graduated to an old manual typewriter, and eventually to an old IBM PC.

I’ve always been fascinated with Fantasy and Sci Fi and the intersection of the two. Most of my stories have revolved around those things; but lately, I’ve added a third thing to the mix – a little MM romance/interaction.

  • You have a new novella coming out – The Homecoming. What’s it about, and how does it fit into that scheme?

The homecoming was a story I started years ago. I wrote maybe three or four scenes, but never finished it. Then I saw a call for stories about the forest, and thought this piece would be perfect. But I had to give it a mixed-genre twist.

There is a romance in the story, but it’s not the main aspect. I call “The Homecoming” my wolfman-spaceman story, and it really does blend some aspects of sci fi with some aspects of shifter wolves. So it hits upon all three of my current writing interests.

  • Are you a full-time writer?

Oh, I wish. I have so many ideas I want to explore. But my husband Mark and I run our own little internet company, and that takes most of our time. I do try to sneak in an hour or hour and a half to write each day.

What other projects do you have going, writing-wise?

Hmmm, let’s see. I’ve finished two other novellas that are awaiting possible publication – one of them is a marriage equality love story set in my old home town of Tucson; the other is an elf in post-climate change San Francisco piece.

But I’m also working on a novel in four parts – basically four connected novellas – that will serve as the prequel to another novel I wrote in my twenties, but never published – I plan to go back to that one and rework it, eventually.

I also have an MM sci fi trilogy I’m working on called Oberon.

  • One more question – what do you do when you need to relax?

Relax? I don’t understand the question. *grin*

Thanks, Scott, for dropping in.  Now more about Scott’s new novel, The Homecoming.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

When his own world is destroyed, Aldiss and his crew barely manage to escape, leaving friends and lovers behind. What was meant to be an exploratory trip back to the home world turns into a mad dash for survival.

When they awaken from stasis on Earth, which was abandoned by humanity five centuries before, they must quickly learn about their new home. While exploring the region around the ship, Aldiss meets Hari, a shape-changer, whose people harbor secrets that might cost the crew their lives.

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STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Hari reached the edge of the woods just in time to see Neru crouching to leap at the two-legs. Young fool.

He gathered himself and jumped after Neru, knocking him aside as his teeth reached for the two-legs’ throat.

Neru turned and snarled at him, backing away toward the woods.

Hari stood firm, ears back, hackles raised, and drew the corners of his mouth back to reveal his teeth. Back off, Neru.

The whelp shook his head and grinned with the brashness of youth, until Hari leaped at him and nipped his ear. With a surprised yelp, Neru turned his head, deferring to Hari’s strength. As you say, brother. There was a cockiness to Neru’s look that unsettled him.

The other wolf backed up slowly then turned to disappear into the woods.

Hari caught a glimpse of Mavi watching from the shadows. The old wolf snarled, and slunk off after her son.

What do you seek, old mother? Hari wondered, watching Mavi’s silver-tipped tail flicker into the darkness. It was clear where Neru’s courage and cunning had come from.

Hari turned back toward the two-legs. He was holding a strange stick, not unlike the one that Hari’s grandmother had shown him in the wolf dream.

But it was his face that caught Hari’s eye. He knew that face. The two-legs’ eyes were white-gray, and his jet-black hair was swept to the side.

Despite the danger, he shifted in the manner only a few of the clan are able to do in the cold. He grew quickly taller and less hairy but no less muscled, and stood naked before the two-legs.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Hari felt an immense attraction washing over him. He saw in his summer form that this two-legs was beautiful. His own body responded to this… man… in an unexpected way, seeing and feeling things his winter form could not. Hari leaned forward and sniffed the stranger, drinking in his musk. It smelled enticing. Strangely familiar.

He sensed the two-legs stiffen, and to reassure, him, Hari licked the man’s neck.

The two-legs was trembling now like a young whelp, so he tried something else. He took the stranger’s face in his hands and kissed him.

The shaking slowed, and then the man was kissing him back. Hari was hungry for him, like a starving wolf at the end of a long, hard winter.

It is not the time for this, the keh whispered in his ear.

He broke contact and turned away, ashamed that he was betraying his Clan, and for lust. An emotion of his summer form.

“I’m sorry,” he said to the two-legs, without looking back. “It won’t happen again.” Even he was not sure if he meant Neru’s attack, or the kiss.

He shifted back into his winter form and loped off into the woods after his pack mates.

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Scott has been writing since elementary school, when he and won a University of Arizona writing contest in 4th grade for his first sci fi story (with illustrations!). He finished his first novel in his mid twenties, but after seeing it rejected by ten publishers, he gave up on writing for a while.j-scott-coatsworth

Over the ensuing years, he came back to it periodically, but it never stuck. Then one day, he was complaining to Mark, his husband, early last year about how he had been derailed yet again by the death of a family member, and Mark said to him “the only one stopping you from writing is you.”

Since then, Scott has gone back to writing in a big way, finishing more than a dozen short stories – some new, some that he had started years before – and seeing his first sale. He’s embarking on a new trilogy, and also runs the Queer Sci Fi (http://www.queerscifi.com) site, a support group for writers of gay sci fi, fantasy, and supernatural fiction.

Website: http://www.jscottcoatsworth.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Scott is giving away one copy of The Homecoming.  To enter to win you must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the Rafflecopter link to enter and make sure we have your email address to reach you if you are chosen.  Contest runs from July 22 to August 5th, at midnight.

Cover Reveal Time for Eden Winter’s Redemption (Diversion #5) (excerpt and giveaway)

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Redemption (Diversion #5) by Eden Winters
Release Date: August 8, 2015

Goodreads Link (Add to your shelf)
Publisher: Rocky Ridge Books
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

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Sales Links:   Amazon

(Bonus link: Check http://www.rockyridgebooks.com/334/
to get Diversion, the first book of the series, for .99!)

STRW Author BookSynopsis

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?”

Pages or Words: 73,000 words

Categories: Crime fiction, Fiction, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Mystery, Thriller

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“What’s your current credit rating?”

Lucky didn’t often use credit. After getting out of prison to work for Walter, he’d bought his car from a police auction for cash, and lived a low-key lifestyle. Before that, Victor Mangiardi had taken care of him. A nice way to live, but other than a car stereo in his teens, he’d never made payments on anything. And he’d been Richmond Lucklighter then. He’d only been Simon Harrison for a short time, and although he’d used credit cards to make expense reporting easier when on assignment, he paid them off every month. “I’m not sure.”

“Then let’s see.” The woman tapped on her laptop and whistled. “Mr. Harrison, I don’t think we’ll have a problem getting you the loan.”

He owed Walter one hell of a lot of those frou-frou coffee drinks from Starbucks for giving him a credit score to make a loan officer whistle.

An hour later Lucky fought to hide a grin from a woman who’d put the Energizer Bunny to shame. “Now, I’m familiar with the house you’re considering. Offer 180. Trust me.” She winked and handed him the phone.

He pulled a dog-eared card from his wallet and dialed.

“Mr. Harrison?” The Realtor didn’t sound too happy to hear from him, not that he blamed her. She’d been working hard for her commission. That’s why she got commission.

“Is that house still available? The fixer-upper in the gated neighborhood?”

“Y… yes.”

“I want to make an offer.”

Now what was he gonna tell Bo?

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Captivated young by story-telling, Eden Winters’ earliest memories include spinning tales for the family’s pets. Her dreams of writing professionally took a sojourn into non-fiction, with a twelve-year stint in technical documentation.

She began reading GLBT novels as a way to better understand the issues faced by a dear friend and fell in love with the M/M romance genre. During a discussion of a favorite book, a fellow aficionado said, “We could do this, you know.” Good-bye gears, motors, and other authors’ characters; hello plots and sex scenes.

Somewhat of a nomad, Eden has visited seven countries so far. She currently calls the southern US home, and many of her stories take place in the rural South. Having successfully raised two children, she now balances the day job with hiking, rafting, spoiling her grandchildren, and stalking the wily falafel or elusive tofu pad Thai at her favorite restaurants. Her musical tastes run from Ambient to Zydeco, and she’s a firm believer that life is better with fur kids and Harley Davidsons.
Find Eden’s other works at http://edenwinters.com or contact her at edenwinters@gmail.com

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdenWinters
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eden-Winters/300380906658065
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdenWinters1
Blog: http://www.edenwinters.com
E-mail:edenwinters@gmail.com

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Tour Dates & Stops: August 1, 2015
Parker Williams, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, BFD Book Blog, Mikky’s World of Books, MM Good Book Reviews, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Jessie G. Books, The Jena Wade, Christy Loves 2 Read, Inked Rainbow Reads, Molly Lolly, TTC Books and More, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Iyana Jenna, Andrew Q. Gordon, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Ogitchida Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Reviews by Jessewave, Velvet Panic

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Redemption’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Prizes and link provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Books in the Diversion Series in the order they were written and should be read for character development, and plot development (not standalone stories):

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A MelanieM Review: The Devil’s Playground: Four of Clubs Three (Pulp Friction 2015: Altered States Book 9) by Parker Williams

Rating:  4.75 stars out of 5

The Devil's Playground CoverThey say the course of true love never runs smooth, and Detective Ben Nelson is learning the truth of that adage in a big way. Two months ago, his lover Artie Middleton was tortured by demons determined to claim the psychic’s special gifts for their own. Now the same friends who helped Ben with the rescue are making a strong case that something about Artie isn’t right. When Artie verbally attacks his best friend, Ben is forced to acknowledge the unbreakable barriers surrounding Artie’s mind.

Searching for someone with the right gifts to help, Ben encounters a woman who insists there’s only one way—and one person—who stands a chance at saving Artie. What Ben finds when he goes on his solo rescue mission may very well mean both of their deaths, as they confront the evil that has made Artie’s mind the Devil’s playground.

Round Three stories are always a joy to read! Although not my favorite ones (that would be Round 5 and the finale), it comes close.  There’s always a mini explosion or three, and somewhere within the plot, the readers will get a small, yet so satisfying emotional payoff for all the angst and heartbreak that has  gone before.  That’s The Devil’s Playground by Parker Williams, book three in his Four of Clubs series in the Pulp Friction Altered States Universe.

When last we left our heroes, Artie and Ben, things were dark and getting darker.  Artie was behaving strangely, asking for help and yet repudiating any that came his way.  And he was mean, deeply, hurtfully, vindictive.  Every the opposite of the character we have come to love.  Ben, his partner and lover, was distraught and at a loss for answers.  In The Devil’s Playground we finally get some answers, and they’re as ugly as we had anticipated.

Demons, a nefarious, unknown plan and a close circle of friends imploding from the inside.  That’s the heartbreak, the suspense and the element that  provides so many emotional layers to this story and series.  Parker Williams continues to remain true to the pulp friction format with a writing style that’s crisp, descriptions that make his characters and situations feel real and a plot that keeps the suspense and angst ratcheted up to high levels. .  He gives us moments of happiness and then  proceeds to break our hearts and that of his characters.  And of course, there’s a cliffhanger as well.  Be still my heart!

I consider this Pulp Friction series one of the top reads this year and that includes all the interconnected series that goes along with it. I have them listed below.  Put them all on your TBR  list!  I highly recommend them all.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  Simple, perhaps too simple.  I wish more elements of this story had been included to give it a punch its lacking now.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition
Published July 13th 2015
ASIN B011K2DZSU
edition language English

 

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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 Harner

Round 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 Harner

Round 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

A Paul B Review: Sharing a Demon’s Bond (A Loving Nip #5) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Sharing a Demon's Bond coverPeople have been found dead with a smile on their face. Rumors of a demon being in the area have the local vampire coven nervous. When Peter Connelly, human blood donor and protectorate of the coven goes missing, the search to find him begins.

Peter Connelly has lived in a vampire coven since he was six years old. He has spent the past 20 years in the company of different paranormal species. Surely, he knows all there is to know about other beings. When he meets a sexy man in a diner, he feels an instant attraction to him. He begins to wonder if this man might be a paranormal and he might be his mate. After all, he has seen all the signs when members of the vampire coven have found the beloved.

Balthazar is a demon. He has spent the past millennium serving his master bringing him souls. After such a length of service, a demon may find his amina, his soul. He must complete his bonding within a three day period before he must wait another thousand years for the chance to find his mate. Balthazar spots Peter in a local diner. He follows Peter in the restroom. Knowing that Peter is at least aware of vampires from his smell, Balthazar informs Peter that he is his amina. He convinces Peter to offer himself and whisks him away to his cabin in the woods.
Toni Bastille has been Peter’s lover for the past 7 years. Although they are quite close, Toni knows that Peter is not his beloved. So they keep their relationship open in order to allow each of them to find their mate. When Toni realizes that Peter has not returned from his errand, he begins to worry. With the possibility of a demon on the loose, he wants to find Peter as soon as possible.

After the vampire coven has found the hideout and the three men come to an understanding as to what will happen in the future, outside forces kidnap Peter. Balthazar, who knows he must complete the bonding ceremony soon or else lose his chance forever with Peter, seeks the aid of the vampire coven. Will they find Peter in time for Balthazar to find his soul?

This is the fifth book in the Loving Nip series by Charlie Richards. This series focuses on the various vampires that have been introduced into her Stone Ridge universe. I like the introduction of demons into the series. It could give Ms Richard’s an avenue of another series within her universe. I found myself pleased that Peter has finally found his mate yet ache for Toni as he has lost his companion for the last few years through no fault of his own. I hope that Toni will soon find his own beloved to soothe his broken heart.

Carmen Waters’ cover once again strikes the right tone for the book. It shows a shirtless Peter in the foreground with what looks like Balthazar’s demon in the doorway of the local vampire coven or his cottage in the woods.

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

Book details
Ebook: 87 pages
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0437-6
Published: July 1, 2015 by Extasy Books
Edition: English

Series: A Loving Nip
• A Nip of Good Cheer (Loving Nip #1)
• A Rose for Paul’s Protector (Loving Nip #2)
• An Unforgettable Bite (Loving Nip #3)
• More than Patient (Loving Nip #4)
• Sharing a Demon’s Bond (Loving Nip #5)

A MelanieM Review: Blue Steel Chain (Trowchester Blues #3) by Alex Beecroft

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

BlueSteelChain_600x900At sixteen, Aidan Swift was swept off his feet by a rich older man who promised to take care of him for the rest of his life. But eight years later, his sugar daddy has turned from a prince into a beast. Trapped and terrified, Aidan snatches an hour’s respite at the Trowchester Museum.

Local archaeologist James Summers is in a failing long distance relationship with a rock star, and Aidan—nervous, bruised, and clearly in need of a champion—brings out all his white knight tendencies. When everything falls apart for Aidan, James saves him from certain death . . . and discovers a skeleton of another boy who wasn’t so lucky.

As Aidan recovers, James falls desperately in love. But though Aidan acts like an adoring boyfriend, he doesn’t seem to feel any sexual attraction at all. Meanwhile there are two angry exes on the horizon, one coming after them with the press and the other with a butcher’s knife. To be together, Aidan and James must conquer death, sex, and everyone’s preconceptions about the right way to love—even their own.

There are certain books you approach with definite expectations of what you will find with the characters and plot.  Sometimes those expectations are met, other times they aren’t.  But on those rare occasions, something else happens, a book doesn’t exceed your expectations, it blows them all to hell, widening your horizons and smacking you in the face with your assumptions.  That’s what occurred  with Alex Beecroft’s Blue Steel Chain, the 3rd book in the Trowchester  Blues series.

My love for the previous novels is apparent in the reviews I wrote and the author interview I conducted.  Alex Beecroft brought alive the small village of Trowchester, with its canals, long boats, antique bookshops, Morris Dancers, historic reinactors and characters of every type imaginable, every type except boring and uninspired. Up until now Beecroft has ushered me into her world with such amazing details such as musical instruments of antiquity I yearned to hear, dances I wanted to watch and a place I desperately wanted to be real.  Her characters, wounded, snarky, and amazing made me laugh, cry and nod my head in recognition and joy.   Then came Blue Steel Chain and everything went topsy turvy.

Where to start when everything is unexpected and sometimes hard to understand?

Blue Steel Chain is beautifully written and thought provoking.  And for me, it was also hard, emotionally, to digest at times.  At the heart of all the thoughts and feelings whirling around in my head is the character of Aidan Swift.  At sixteen, already thrown away by his family for his sexuality, he is fair prey for an older man hiding sick, abusive behaviors and deeds.  Now eight years later, Aidan is a perpetually frightened, submissive, abused young man.  Sometimes left chained and alone for hours as punishment, isolated from all around him, his state of mind is one of fear, chaos, an overwhelming need to please and much , much more.

Alex Beecroft makes Aiden so real your heart bleeds for him and your stomach churns during the scenes he has with his abuser.  Trust me, those are hard to take because we have quickly come to love Aiden so.  But Aiden has another secret.  He’s asexual.  That makes those scenes where he is being sexually abused even more problematic.  Why?  Because of the way he sees them.  I thought I understood what  asexuality meant.  Apparently not.

I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a character  (or author for that matter) recently that made me question my assumptions about sexuality and relationships as Aiden and Alex Beecroft have. We live in Aiden’s skin here.  Every moment, every thought that occurs from his  brief secret excursions away from the house where he is kept, out over the meadows, into the local museum where archaeologist James Summers is toiling over the latest batch of “finds” and having his own relationship issues.  Aiden’s brief moments of joy, his initial fear of Jamie, his curiosity and ,man,, this makes me want to cry again, his love of pottery and the art he was forced to abandon…we are there inside him, listening and weeping.  And hoping for a rescue.

Jamie too needs help. We’re let into his point of view as well, important in a story such as this one. His long term  relationship has diminished to the point that he rarely sees his “partner, and when he does, he dissolves into  a doormat for his rockstar lover to walk over. Jamie too is a believable human being, full of frailties, preoccupied with his bits and pieces of antiquity and his life in Trowchester.  It takes the arrival of Aiden in his life to shake up the status quo and get him moving again.  Jamie is not asexual but gay with a healthy appetite that’s been repressed by his current relationship and lover.

There are some incredibly scary scenes that involve characters from the previous stories who help Aiden escape and start a new life.  These moments in the novel are heart-stopping, white-knuckle, “wap your head against the wall” exciting and frustrating, all at the same time.  You know those bits where you are yelling at the actors on the scene to get moving?  Yep, that happens here.  But its what comes later that will blow your perceptions of romance and a relationship to bits.  Some will like it, some will love it and others won’t get it at all.  At times, I was all  three.

Ever think what it must be like to be asexual and love someone who is not?  What does it mean to be in a relationship when one partner loves sex and the other doesn’t?  How does that work?  If it does? Beecroft takes those questions and gives us some answers through the relationship dynamics between Jamie and Aiden.  At times I found myself shaking my head, thinking this can’t possibly work  But a conversation with a friend who is asexual basically confirmed that is does, more often than we think.

Can a relationship work when you must schedule times for sex because to do otherwise is an abuse of another’s wishes and needs?  Can a sexual being truly understand how an asexual person feels and act accordingly?  And visa versa?  These are all issues Alex Beecroft brings into her characters and storyline.  It made me rethink my own assumptions about relationships, what works, what doesn’t and  Steel Blue Chain has left me with even more questions and jumbled ideas, making me revaluate what I thought I knew about people, recovery and love. And did so through the character of a wounded,yet resilient young man called Aiden.

Blue Steel Chain came very close to a five star rating but a few things still bothered me at the end.   There was so much going on here that I thought the idea of all those years of abuse would leave mental, emotional scarring far wore than the physical marks Aiden wore from his time in captivity.  Yes, it was mentioned he was seeing a therapist, but it felt a little glossed over and not in keeping with the realism of the rest of the story.   Perhaps that would have made this a 600 page story, who knows?

Still, I find that Blue Steel Chain is the most ambitious and surprising of the three novels.  Is it my favorite? No. Is it the most remarkable?  Yes, I think so. Blue Steel Chain will challenge your perceptions of love and romance, it will make you rethink your definitions of love and long term happiness.  And it makes me yearn for more of this remarkable village, its incrediblely human and addicting inhabitants, and the stories they still have to tell.

Cover Art by Lou Harper.  I  like the branding, the tone and design works with all three stories but I’m just not sure that model works for any of the characters within.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published July 27th 2015 by Riptide Publishing (first published July 25th 2015)
original titleBlue Steel Chain
ISBN139781626492066
edition languageEnglish

Trowchester: it’s the fourth smallest city in Britain, and visitors sometimes think it hasn’t left the Middle Ages yet. There’s a Bronze Age barrow, a wide network of ley lines, the best tea shop in the county, and more morris dancers than you can shake a stick at. Trowchester attracts those who have been hurt and those who are looking for sanctuary from the modern world. But scratch the surface and there’s murder and mayhem aplenty. People come here to find love, but they’re forced to learn bravery first.

The release order of the Trowchester series is Trowchester Blues, Blue Eyed Stranger, and Blue Steel Chain, but you can start with withichever book catches your eye; they each stand alone. I highly recommend them all.

Trowchester Blues (A Trowchester Blues Novel)
Blue Eyed Stranger (A Trowchester Blues Novel)
Blue Steel Chain (A Trowchester Blues Novel)

Its More Storming Love with MLR Press’ Storming Love: Earthquake Collection (giveway)

Earthquake Combo - Release

MLR Press: Storming Love: Earthquake
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Kris Jacen

Sales Links: Amazon

 | MLR Press

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Author Mini Interview with Nicole Dennis

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Nicole Dennis, author of Earthquake: Xavier & Devin

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

Hello and thanks for having me. I’m a quiet single author with a furry kid – known as Fat Cat. I grew up in NJ and moved to Florida with the family. For some odd reason, I stayed in this sauna of a state. My current book is part of the MLR Press Storming Love series of natural disasters. From the title – this is the Earthquake series, one of six books, all set in the same place during the same disaster. Since everyone is familiar with California quakes, the other authors and I decided to change things up. We chose the great state of Alaska.
• Where do you find your inspiration?
From almost anything can inspire me. A movie, a TV show, another book, and music. Sometimes those darn plot bunnies come all on their own and attack with ideas.

• When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I dabbled for so long, I was always a writer. I became an ‘author’ when I signed my first contract for a short story that was part of an anthology.

• Do your characters become like real people to you?
Oh yes, I argue and complain to them all the time about not cooperating with me or going a completely different direction than I decided.

• If you weren’t a writer, what else would you like to have done?
I would love to have been an artist of some type. No matter what, I have this creative need.

• What do you want your tombstone to say?
LOL. What a question… Umm.
A writer who shared her rainbow with others.

Now more about the Storming Love: Earthquake Collection!

Book Names & Blurbs:

7/3 Gabriel & Avery by Ann Anderson

Earthquake Cover - AnnLoneliness has been Gabriel’s companion for since his parents’ passing, growing with each sibling that leaves home to start their own life. When a big earthquake hits Alaska, Gabriel finds himself taking in Avery, his two daughters, and their grandmother and relishes not being so alone. Yet, Gabriel feels a spark of recognition he can’t explain about Avery, but more than that, he likes the company and wishes he could have a deeper relationship with the man. But when the small family has their new home, what could make Avery want to stay?

7/10 Derek and Hayden by Megan Linden

Earthquake Cover - MeganDerek Warden is certain his boss sent him to cover the conference in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, to punish him for something. After an unpleasant phone call from his father who tries to stop him from going, Derek is ready for the whole thing to be over before it even begins.

Hayden Shaw has been looking forward to this conference for months. The problem of fracking is very dear to his heart and he couldn’t wait to spend the long weekend with like-minded people.
Neither of them expected the big earthquake, but most importantly – they didn’t expect each other. Meeting again after over a decade may result in something even more surprising that the ground trembling under their feet.

7/17 Rhody & Brendan by Diana DeRicci

Earthquake Cover - DianaRhody Witte is on his way to Alaska for two weeks of fishing and not much else. Mountains, clean air, and all the bait he can waste. What he gets is the largest earthquake to rock the Alaskan wilds in sixty-plus years.

Brendan Skorvarski isn’t the kind of man Rhody usually finds himself attracted to, much less want to know, but there’s something in the gentle giant that Rhody can’t seem to resist.

When they’re locked up in a cabin together for days in the Alaskan wilderness, resistance seems futile when survival takes precedence. Especially their survival when Rhody sees a bear outside their window.

7/24 Anders & Ujaruk by Caraway Carter

Earthquake Cover - CarawayGeologist Anders Thorpe has sworn off relationships with colleagues, after his last one ended in a dirty little game of sabotage. Six months later and he’s preparing to camp and investigate a gold mine that might still be active. He’s joined by Ujaruk an archaeologist who fights an inner battle with the fact that he’s a native Aleut, and wondering if he’ll ever find the perfect man.

Will Anders break his vow? Will Ujaruk find the right guy? Will they survive whatever is thrown their way?

7/31 Xavier & Devin by Nicole Dennis

Earthquake Cover - NicoleTremors are a part of everyday life in big Alaska.

Bush pilot, Xavier Markovic, goes with nature’s flow and loves it. He guides guests through Denali National Park to show off his beloved state. Until health issues arise for his mentor, Daniel Chevalier, and Xavier flies him to the hospital.

An almost fatal tumble down a mountain ends Devin Chevalier’s professional mountain biking career and brings him to a crossroads. Learning his grandfather is ill, he makes a rash decision. Uprooting his life for a chance to meet Daniel, he crosses paths with a brash Alaskan.

Alaska throws them another surprise in the form of a huge earthquake. Differences put aside while they struggle to survive.

8/7 Asher and Emmett by Anna Lee

Earthquake Cover - AnnaCelebrating their fifth anniversary, Asher and Emmett are on a romantic getaway in a cabin in Alaska. They have plans to adopt when they return home. But their paradise is destroyed when a huge earthquakes hits. Being a firefighter and a paramedic, both men put themselves at risk to save others when the tragedy strikes. Will they be able to make it home to start a family?

Pages or Words: Varies by book

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Paranormal (Please keep in mind that not all stories feature all categories)

 

Author Names, Bios, and Release Dates:

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7/3 Ann Anderson
Born and raised in Illinois, Ann spends her time reading, writing, working, and playing video games whenever the cats, and her family, don’t demand her attention. The second born of four, Ann has learned to listen and observe, a skill she’s honed because the simplest words or gestures can be the next big story idea, and she’s always on the lookout for ideas.
Contact Info:
E-mail: author_ann_anderson@yahoo.com
Blog: http://authorannanderson.blogspot.com

7/10 Megan Linden
Megan is one of those people who dreamed of being a writer since they were a little kid and then didn’t do anything about it for years. Then as a teenager she was introduced to fandom and… well. She fell head first into it and never looked back. At some point she decided to try writing her own characters in her own stories. And that’s where she is today.
Megan is also a psychologist and continues to learn the hard way that she can’t give all her clients their happy ending (she truly believes everyone can save themselves, though). That’s why she makes sure to give it to her characters, always.
Contact Info:
Email: meganlindencom@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.linden.54
Website/Blog: http://www.meganlinden.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7789392.Megan_Linden

7/17 Diana DeRicci
Diana DeRicci is the sexy, flirty pen name of Diana Castilleja. A romance author at heart, DeRicci’s writing takes you into a saucier spectrum of sensuality and sexual adventure, where a happily-ever-after is still the key to any story. Diana lives in Central Texas with her husband, one son and a feisty little Chihuahua named Rascal. You can catch the latest news on all of Diana DeRicci’s writing and books on her website. Feel free to drop Diana an email. She’d love to hear from you.
Contact Info:
Website/Blog: http://dianadericci.com/

7/24 Caraway Carter
Caraway Carter has worn numerous hats. He’s been a furniture salesman, a dresser, a costumer, an actor/waiter, a rabble rouser, a poet and most recently a writer. He married his husband on Halloween and they are the loving parents of two rambunctious cats. He loves words and stringing them together, he loves sex and sexy men, he loves seeing how far his muse will take him and he’s looking forward to entertaining you.
Contact Info:
Email: carawaycarter@gmail.com
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/CarawayCarter?fref=nf
Website/Blog: http://www.carawaycarter.com/
Goodreads: Group: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13539002.Caraway_Carter

7/31 Nicole Dennis
A quiet one growing up, Nicole Dennis left reality for the comfort of books, filling a personal library over the years. Characters started talking about their own stories. Writing them down whether during or after class, she continues to this day. She lets others meet her characters, walk through her worlds, and sigh as a romance overcomes all obstacles. All of her romances include delightful twists of GLBT, paranormal, fantasy, and erotica and always have their Happily Ever Afters.
She lives and works in Central Florida. Thanks to a quiet working environment, she can escape into her stories. At home, a semi-demonic tortie calico, affectionately known as Fat Cat on social media, rules their home.
Contact Info:
Email: nicoledennis.author@gmail.com
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nicoledennis.author/
Website/Blog: http://nicoledennisauthor.blogspot.com
Goodreads: Member: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2791975.Nicole_Dennis

8/7 Anna Lee
Anna Lee graduated from the University of California Riverside with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. Living with a disability, she has overcome many challenges and puts her passion for life and love into her writing. She lives with her family and dogs and enjoys writing late into the night. When she isn’t writing, Anna enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephew or chatting with her friends about her favorite books and TV shows.
Contact Info:
Email: annalee509@gmail.com
Twitter: annalee59
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/authorannalee
Website/Blog: http://www.storiesbyannalee.com

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $30 gift card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the MLR Press and Pride Promotions.
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Final

Tour Dates & Stops:
9-Jul
Dawn’s Reading Nook
16-Jul
The Hat Party
Bayou Book Junkie
23-Jul
Velvet Panic
30-Jul
Mikky’s World of Books
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
6-Aug
Hearts on Fire
Jessie G. Books
13-Aug
MM Good Book Reviews
The Novel Approach
20-Aug
Happily Ever Chapter
Prism Book Alliance
27-Aug
Inked Rainbow Reads
BFD Book Blog
Love Bytes