In Our Author Spotlight: RJ Scott and her latest release, Last Marine Standing (guest blog & contest)

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blogtour

 

spotlight on booksLast Marine Standing cover

In Our Author Spotlight:

 RJ Scott on Heroes,

Schedules and the

Last Marine Standing!

 RJ Scott is here today to talk about her latest book, Last Marine Standing.  She brought along an excerpt to read and a contest to enter! Now for a closer look at Last Marine Standing…

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The second in my Heroes series, Last Marine Standing, was released yesterday. I think this is about my 68th book (think of the celebration for book 69!). I sayLast Marine Standing cover I think this is book 68, because there have been some shenanigans in the past with publishers, and I’ve also pulled a couple of my stories. Anyway I digress.

Yesterday my book came out, tomorrow I fly to GRL (or the day after depending when this is posted!). I had someone say to me the other day that they thought I didn’t get nervous when I have a new book out, because hey, I’m on book 68 (is). Someone else mentioned that at last year’s GRL I looked confident, if at times quiet. I should imagine the quiet times were when I had wine and a quiet corner, ROFL.

I can address all of this. Every single release I get nervous about. Every one. I worry people will hate, I worry people will laugh, I worry that I should have given up a long time ago. Will the book sell? Will it get into the 100 Gay on Amazon, will it go top 50, top 10. And even if it gets there will it stay there? So yeah, worrier = RJ Scott.

Then GRL. I can quite happily ‘do’ confident. I can stand up in front of people, although I can’t be held responsible for what comes out of my mouth. I can make jokes (at Amber’s expense), I can laugh, I can talk coherently for a while. Doesn’t mean that inside I’m not bricking it (English term = terrified). So yeah, terrified = RJ Scott.

But, I wouldn’t swap these experiences where I am dragged out of my comfort zone. I love being a writer and all that this entails.

I’ll love meeting every one of you at GRL, even if I am crap at putting names to faces, and I’ll love to talk.

By the time you read this I’ll be over my release day nerves. I’ll be in my happy place with wine and packing and excitement. Just the one day mind you, then I’ll be inconsolably nervous about GRL… it never stops.

How do you relax when you get stressed? Are you like me with a glass of wine?

Last Marine Standing

Book two in the Heroes series. Book 1 – A Reason To Stay

For all buy links when they become available click here:

http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/SEALHeroes2.html

Author Bio

RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.

With over sixty titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

Author Contacts:

 

Last Marine Standing

Last Marine Standing Blurb:

Last Marine Standing cover

 

When the people you trusted turn on you, when you are the last one standing, should you take your secrets to the grave? Or make the murderers pay?

Former Marine Recon, Mackenzie ‘Mac’ Jackson has secrets. The things he did for his country, the things he saw, must never be spoken about. Until that is, his team is targeted.

A shift in political alliances means one particular mission undertaken by Mac and his Fire Team needs to be wiped from the history books. Starting with the team itself.

Forest Ranger, Samuel Larson III wants to find the Marines who saved his life. He just wants to say thank you. What he can’t know is that he’s walking into a firestorm of betrayal and murder.

When Samuel arrives at Mac’s place he throws Mac’s plans for hiding out of the window. Abruptly Mac has to protect a man that threatens his heart, only this time he can’t be sure he will succeed in keeping Sam alive.

When the people you trusted turn on you, when you are the last one standing, should you take your secrets to the grave? Or make the murderers pay?

 

 Last Marine Standing Excerpt

Bear put his hand on his hip and sashayed a little, which looked ridiculous.

Mac shoved him. “I will kill you.”

Bear squared his shoulders and smirked. “You could try.”

Mac weighed the pros and cons. Bear certainly lived up to his nickname—broad, strong, straining the damn fatigues—but Mac knew his teammate’s weaknesses. He estimated he could take him in about five minutes, but he’d probably get a few broken bones in the process. He relaxed his stance, ready to go toe to toe with Bear, but Spider put a hand between the two men.

“The kid’s crying,” Spider pointed out helpfully.

Mac shot his friend a shocked look. Did Spider really think the best thing for the poor kid in the bed was to have some idiot go in and tell him everything would be okay? “That doesn’t mean he needs one of us to talk to him,” he asserted.

Bear crossed his arms over his impossibly broad chest. “You saw what they did, heard what he said. One of us should say something. Threaten to go kill someone or something.”

“We already killed everyone who hurt him,” Spider said evenly. “No one left to shoot.”

 

Word count: TBC but around 54,0000
Cover Art: Meredith Russell
Editor: Erika Orrick
Copyright: RJ Scott

Book two in the Heroes series.

A Reason To Stay Heroes 1 coverLast Marine Standing coverBook 1 – A Reason To Stay

 OUT NOW  For all buy links click here:
Giveaway prize:  $10 Amazon/Are gift card, and prizes of free e-books, must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  For all the contest details and entry form please use the Rafflecopter link provided below:

Rafflecopter code below…

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OR direct link is:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f922301b27/

A MelanieM Review: Foundation of Trust (Cost of Repairs #5) by A.M. Arthur

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Not everyone gets a second chance with their first love.

Foundation of Trust coverDavid Weller had it all and then it was gone.  Once day David had a loving partner and soon to be stepson, a business he enjoyed and his health.  In one day’s time, everything David thought he knew and had in his life shattered and was gone.  A devastating diagnosis,and a partner who disappeared along with his son.  All gone.

Now four years later, David is still trying to cope with the past and not doing a very good job of it.  He has started a catering business with a friend that’s thriving but his private life is a mess.  Afraid to trust, filled with anger, David spends his nights in one night stands and increasingly dangerous hookups, using pain to assuage his memories and fear.  And then the impossible happens when his ex partner reappears, son in tow and everything changes.

Owen Hart has a life filled with poor life choices and bad decisions.  But Owen thought he left everything behind him when he met David Weller.  Knowing and loving David meant accepting his own homosexuality, loving David meant having a home not only for himself  but for his son.  Then Owen was forced to leave David and the life they had built together.  No warnings, Owen and his son just disappeared.  Now years later, Owen is back to make things right and hopefully make David love and forgive him once more.

A chance encounter proves to David and Owen that the feelings they had for each other remain as explosive as ever, but the wounds inflicted on David by Owen’s disappearance are deep.  Can David ever forgive Owen for his deception and the pain he caused David?  Both men have changed in the years gone by but when a second chance at love and a future together opens up, can the past be forgiven in order for them to have a future together?

Foundation of Trust is the fifth story in the Cost of Repairs series by A.M. Arthur.  As it is also the only story I have read from that series, I approached with carefully wondering how it would work as a stand alone tale.  I shouldn’t have wondered, Foundation of Trust is a beautifully written and well structured story that works on its own.  A tale of poor life choices and second chances, it’s enduring theme and characters pulled me into their story completely, keeping me happily committed from the beginning to end.

I love the reunited lovers trope.  In Foundation of Trust, A.M. Arthur works her magic to give us two wounded men who are truly incomplete without the other, no matter how hard one of them tries to deny it.  In bits and pieces, the author slowly unravels the steps and bad choices that destroyed their partnership and drove Owen to disappear, taking his son who David loved like his own with him.  The devastation that action had upon David and the emotions and pain that followed  come across as utterly deep, and long lasting.  The betrayal and disappearance shattering David just when he needed Owen’s support the most.

A thread that runs throughout this story is the impact a heartrending medical diagnosis can have upon a person’s life and mental outlook.  Without support and with a disasterous back history, learning that one has a serious medical condition is shattering and Arthur is able to bring that situation to life with David’s character.   It was a realistic and moving choice and it works here beautifully.

Owen too has had a troubled past, one that refuses to let him go.  Without giving away any spoilers, I thought that Owen, his strained relationship with his son, and the tough fight ahead of him to make amends and be forgiven are all realistically portrayed.  Owen is as full of pain over the damage he caused, not only to David but his son as well.  Arthur makes sure that there is no instant forgiveness or easy solutions to these mens issues and problems of the past.

I enjoyed this story so throughly that it will send me back to the rest of the series to see what else A. M. Arthur has in store for the characters involved here.  If you love a story of lovers reunited,  of past hurts and betrayals overcome and redemption earned, then Foundation of Trust by A. M. Arthur is the story for you.  I highly recommend it and am now off to search out her other stories and series to date.

Cover artist Lyn Taylor did a wonderful job of bringing the characters and tone of the story to the design and tone of the cover.

Sales Links:   Samhain Publishing       All Romance eBook (ARe)   Amazon  Foundation of Trust

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 239 pages
Expected publication: October 21st 2014 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
original titleFoundation of Trust
ASINB00KT23WJU
edition languageEnglish
seriesCost of Repairs #5

Books in the Series Include:

Cost of Repairs (Cost of Repairs, #1)
Color of Grace (Cost of Repairs, #2)
Weight of Silence (Cost of Repairs, #3)
Acts of Faith (Cost of Repairs #4)
Foundation of Trust (Cost of Repairs, #5)

 

 

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart 2 (Red Dirt #2) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Red Dirt Heart 2Charlie Sutton had lived a quite, solitary life on his family’s ranch, the Sutton Station, one of Australia’s Northern Territory’s largest farms.  It’s harsh desert landscape and couple million acres of red dirt,  and scorching sun made his self isolation as easy as hiding his sexuality. It was a situation that Charlie had gotten comfortable with, even loved at times.

Then a Texas agronomy grad, Travis Craig appeared in his life by means of an international diversification education program and nothing was ever the same.  Now Charlie’s life is lively, crowded,  upended and confused.  Travis is proudly gay and crazy about Charlie just as Charlie is about him.  Six months of having the one thing he never thought possible is making Charlie happy, and throughly scared.  And all the confusion, self doubts, and questions about their future is starting to make Charlie feel trapped in a way he never felt before.

As problems communicating and issues of exposure rise, one big question looms on the horizon.  Will Travis stay or will he go?

 

The saga of Charlie Sutton, Travis Craig and the Sutton Station continues and happily, it has just grown in dimension and complexity with this new installment.   I fell in love with Charlie, Travis, and all the inhabitants of the  enormous farm called Sutton Station in the first story, Red Dirt Heart 1 where N. R. Walker introduced us to the uncompromising, yet beautiful landscape of the Northern Territory in Australia.  Here the people and animals  inhabit a vast territory, living in some of the harshest conditions found on earth.  Brutal heat, a desolation that stretches for a million acres where nature, not people, make the rules and the cost of  disregarding them is perilous and often deadly.

Through vivid descriptions and a beautiful use of the Australian culture, language and lingo, Walker envelopes the reader once more into the remote world that is Sutton Station and the romance of Charlie Sutton and Travis Craig.  Just as making a living off under such uncompromising conditions takes work and communication, so do relationships.  That that’s where Charlie and Travis are having trouble.

Walker’s Charlie Sutton is a complex, wonderful character.  I almost wrote man because he feels so real and alive to me.  Charlie grew up under the less than benevolent parentage of a father as harsh as the land around them.  That voice that Charlie hears inside his head saying that “no fairy son of mine will ever run the station” is his father’s, a voice and bigoted outlook so ingrained into Charlie’s head and heart that he fears the very openness that Travis represents. The internal struggles that Charlie must work through are mirrored by the battles that must be fought externally in town and the other stations.  And no matter what front the battles are being fought on, internal or otherwise, it always comes across as believable, immediate, and powerful.  Since the story is told from Charlie’s pov, the reader is there for every skirmish, all the mental and emotional arguments and musings running through Charlie’s head and heart as he tries to find a way forward and a future.   Walker had me so involved, so committed to Charlie and Travis that I couldn’t put this story down once I started.

And while its Charlie’s voice and thoughts we hear, we see, learn about and come to love all the others through his eyes.  Travis, of course, comes first.  A man of endless passion, movement, and need to being  doing, something, anything, his big open heart is one the reader finds easy to embrace.  Following quickly on his heels are Ma, George, Bacon, Trudy, Billy and Ernie.  Even those darn animals like Matilda the red kangeroo baby, Texas and Shelby, their horses, everything pours itself into your heart like the red dirt of Sutton Station, inescapable, memorable, and final.

In a funny and welcome addition, N.R. Walker lays out for the reader early on certain vocabulary and colloquialisms non-Australians will find necessary.  I started to correct realise to realize only to find out that no, realise is the Aussie spelling, not ours.  And our Mickey D’s?  Nope, that’s not what it’s called   down under, a funny scene I will let you find on your own. There is no part of this story and series that doesn’t have me seriously enraptured.  I want to go there. Pull on my Akubra and Driza-bone, take a ride in their utes, to experience the country and people I have met through the Red Dirt Heart series.

There are two more books to go, unless we can convince N. R. Walker to extend the series.  Red Dirt Heart 2, in fact the entire Red Dirt Heart saga, is one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2014.  And N. R. Walker  is now on my automatic author buy list.  Pick up these stories and start your journey in this remarkable land and it’s equally intrepid and complex characters.  You will laugh, your heart will hurt, and some tears are going to flow in joy and sorrow.  What a saga and series await you in Red Dirt Heart!

 Cover art by Sara York is wonderful in branding the series and showcasing the landscape.

Sales Links:   All Romance eBooks      Amazon         Red Dirt Heart 2

 Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 250 pages
Published August 17th 2014
ASINB00MT7VJZM
edition languageEnglish
seriesRed Dirt #2

Series to include 4 books that should be read in the order they were written and released for character and relationship development:

Red Dirt Heart 1
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3
Red Dirt Heart 4

Find my author interview with N.R. Walker here.

 

 

Want a Creepy Quickie? Get 3! It’s the Bump in the Night Book Tour from Riptide! (contest)

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Feel that cold creeping into the room?  Getting the shivers?  Let’s welcome some frighteningly awesome authors here today to clue us into the creepy quickies they have in store for us all…

Hey, everyone! We’re Heidi, Kari, Laylah, and Sam, and we’re here touring with our three Creepy Quickies releases! Laylah’s bringing you Resurrection Man, about a man who will go to any–and we do mean any–lengths to bring his lover back from the dead. Kari has Mating Season, for those of you who love amorous aquatic beasts and mad scientists. And finally, Heidi and Sam wrote Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint, about a demon deal set in 1880s Whitechapel.

Originally written for the horror anthology Bump in the Night, our three stories span the gamut of the genre, from spine-chilling scares to stolen moments of tenderness to inescapable dead ends.

To celebrate our release, we’re giving away a $10 Riptide gift card! Just comment below–or on any of our other stops, all of which can be found on our blog tour page–with an email address to reach you, and we’ll select one lucky winner at the end of the tour!

ResurrectionMan_500x750About Resurrection Man

Necromancy means never having to say good-bye.

Consumption has claimed the life of Adel St. Claire, cutting him down in his prime. But his lover, Josef Leitner, isn’t ready to let him go. To get Adel back, Josef is willing to risk the anger of Adel’s family, make unsavory deals with a corrupt mortician, and challenge the authority of death itself.

Even if he can reanimate Adel’s body, Josef’s next challenge may be more daunting still: when a man returns from the dead, what will it take to satisfy his needs?

Riptide says “Have a free read on us! Get Resurrection Man for free right now!

About Mating Season

MatingSeason_500x750He didn’t believe in the monster of the lake . . . but that didn’t make it any less real.

When Danny needs a getaway, his best friend goads him into a week-long hiking trip. Who cares if local superstitions and old wives tales warn the wary to avoid the lake once summer nights turn chilly? The trails are still pretty, the wildlife just as plentiful, and the fall colors beautiful for the lens of Danny’s digital camera. Nothing sinister could happen, not here.

Danny was wrong. Assaulted by lusty tentacles that push his body—and his sanity—to the brink, Danny is then held captive by his best friend, betrayed for the sake of science. Unable to escape and terrified of the changes in his body, Danny’s alternatives are few. He will be returned, over and over, to the monster.

But maybe his future isn’t as bleak as it originally seemed.

 Riptide says “Get Mating Season here“.

About Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint

BlasphemerSinnerSaint_500x750Tobias Sinnet has left his boyhood days of sin behind him. As the caretaker of a boys’ orphanage in Whitechapel, he teaches the children to live by the word of God, keeps his daily prayers, and goes to bed each night with a clear conscience
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Until David, the boy who tempted him in their youth, arrives on his doorstep. Forced to prostitute himself to keep his younger brother in school, David has grown ill, and all he wants is for Tobias to agree to look after his brother when he’s gone.

But as they reconnect, Tobias finds it unexpectedly difficult to let David go—and, thanks to a mysterious stranger offering Tobias the deal of a lifetime, he may not have to.

Get Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint here.

CreepyQuickieBump_150x300Read more about Heidi, Kari, Laylah, and Sam by visiting their author pages at Riptide Publishing.  Go now and get your holiday Spook On early!!

A MelanieM Review: Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

hiddengem_final03With a past that haunts him with nightmares, Misaki “Aki” Itou became a “contracted companion”, a whore, in order to survive , leaving  his starving existence on the streets behind. Aki is a  psi—a person with mutated DNA granting him psychic abilities.  And that makes him both a danger to himself and an object of fear and interest to the government scientists of the North and South.  Only his contract and position as the “shining jewel” and  top companion at the Hidden Gem,protects him while making enough money to buy the prettiest, most sparkly shoes he can find.

Det. Shane McNaughton is a cop, the Head of Missing Persons,with a completion rate so high that no one can top him. McNaughton  survived the Third World War for one reason only, one he hides.  Shane McNaughton is a A-M, one of many animal mutations that occurred as part of the chemical warfare between the North and the South.  And while it gives him supernatural abilities it also makes him a monster when the virus isn’t dormant.  His secret is known only to a few and that makes Shane McNaughton one lone  wolf.  Except when it comes to Aki Itou.

For two years Shane has been paying for Aki’s services, both for Aki’s sexual favors and for Aki’s psychic abilities.  Always Shane has wanted more from Aki, and always he has been denied.  When several children of the wealthy go missing only to be found dead, its up to Shane and Aki to combine their powers to find the children in time and expose the killer.  But nothing prepares either one for the forces they unleash from the past that continues to haunt them both.

What a fantastical and inventive story Lissa Kasey has created for her release, Hidden Gem.  Complete with a complex back story for her universe that includes a World War III where the weapons were chemical and their impact upon the populace diabolical and disastrous, Kasey manages to paint a portrait of a world gone dark and deadly, full of dead bodies, camps, and experimentation.   That the descriptions aren’t incredibly graphic doesn’t take away any of their horror and impact.  Relayed to the reader through memories of several of the characters, those past events come across as fresh and terrifying, a vision that haunts the narrative from start to finish.

Overlaying the past like a infirm veneer, the present is a place of secrets, hidden agendas, and where a sanctuary can be the last place anyone would consider safe and desirable.  That last place, of course, being the Hidden Gem, a high level brothel known for its desirable male and female contracted companions.  Aki and Candy, his best friend and fellow high paid companion, are happy and safe within the confines of their profession and contracts.  Kasey lets us into the  intimacies of their friendship and the daily operations of the Hidden Gem.  It’s a fascinating world full of equally intriguing and memorable characters, not the least of which are Aki and Candy.  Aki whose dress and makeup never try to hide his eyes which give away the fact that he is psi.  And delectible Candy, whose mind reflects colored clouds and happiness back to Aki, is a jewel in his own right.  I only hope that Lissa Kasey has another story in mind for this universe featuring Candy, he deserves it.  The darkness of the companions pasts are always present, although pressed into the background or saved for their nightmares.

At the other end of society’s spectrum is the police unit headed up by Shane McNaughton, a cop who no longer considers himself a man.  He is also tormented by his past and present.  Only being in the presence of Aki, is that pain alleviated for Shane. Kasey makes Shane as fully realized a being as Aki, although his darkness and past are more fully known then Aki’s for most of the story.  Shane is a powerful figure and he moves through the narrative with a blunt forcefulness that can take your breath away.

There is a malignant center to this story and a mystery of the most chilling and heartbreaking kind.  Children are being kidnapped and  horrifically killed.  Kasey weaves her mystery thread through all the other filaments pulling together to make this an outstanding tapestry of a tale.  Its not enough that each character carries a truckload of pain and secrets behind them, the author also keeps in mind each character’s emotional, mental and physical needs as well.  All are juggled in a high wire balancing act that ends in an astonishing conclusion  that will stay with you long after the story is over.

I hope this is not the last we have seen of the Hidden Gem universe and characters.  Lissa Kasey has left herself plenty of room for more stories to come.  They and the readers deserve them.  Consider Hidden Gem and Lissa Kasey highly recommended by Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words!  Grab it up today and start reading.

Cover Artist:2014 Shobana Appavu.  Love the cover.

Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press  Paperback     All Romance eBooks (ARe)      Amazon    Hidden Gem

Book Details:

ebook, 246 pages
Published September 26th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632161994

A Sammy Review: Ben Raphael’s All-Star Virgins by K.Z. Snow

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Pride that depends on the approval of others is a false pride, layered on from outside yourself like gold leaf. When the leaf begins to flake and chip, you see the base material beneath it. When you see the base material, the shiny deception exists no more. What are you left with?

Soul-crushing disillusionment. A sorrow that seems absolute.

All Star Virgins coverThere’s something about youth that is so wonderful and yet so sad. This is displayed perfectly in the story of five young boys who attend Ben Raphael Academy, a boarding school, together. They’re more than friends, they’re family, but in the midst of a chaotic world filled with typical teenage drama, they’re virtually invisible.

When one of them comes up with a plan to change that, to make them become noticed and to highlight their “mystique” as virgins who aren’t trying to chase tail, a rare breed among boys their age, the rest go along. What starts out as a simple act to try and make a quiet, forgotten group noticed and desired winds its way into a far darker journey of discovery, loss, and love.

I forced myself to look at the sky. The stars wheeled thickly overhead. This night, they seemed like a gateway to infinite possibilities, not a glittering veil over a dark, suctioning void.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a fun, cute Young Adult story. I’m not typically one for that genre, but this sounded interesting.

Well, I can say for certain that cute and light were not quite what I got out of this. It speaks volumes about the thought process of youth and how they seek to be seen, but more than that seek acceptance. It was all a very sad reality to me. And while there is an element of romance in this between Rider and Jake, I feel the heart of the story lies more in the group of boys themselves.

Reading the blurb again, I think it sounds a bit cheesy toward the end in regards to an unspeakable tragedy, and when I read what this tragedy was, it may have at first seemed over-dramatic and far-fetched, but the more I thought about it, the more realistic it actually was – and that thought made me incredibly sad.

*POTENTIAL SPOILER REGARDING POSSIBLY TRIGGERING TOPIC: I was also surprised at the heaviness of a certain topic in this. I will say that if anyone has a hard boundary line when it comes to relationships between minors and adults of the more manipulative nature, you should steer clear of this. For some reason, I didn’t expect it to happen. Granted, this isn’t a long book, but it still surprised me when the initial idea was hinted at and then fleshed out.

I do think that the tragedy aspect of it, as well as the taboo relationship part, would’ve been more impactful in a book of novel length. With this being 134 pages, everything was quick, and the brief glimpses we got of this issues being dug into were quite nice, but just not enough given the weight of them.

In general a good story, but certainly not something I’d suggest if you want a quick, light read. Quick, yes, but light, not so much.And although I’m not an expert regarding the classification of a young adult story, this does depict teenage boys going through life. While there are several references to sexual activities, and times when we see what leads up to it and the aftermath, there are no explicit sexual details. As such, I’d say it does fall pretty well into the Young Adult category.

Cover Artist: Maria Fanning provided a simple cover that at first seems quite basic in regards to the type of story. Boys in a boarding school – thus a boy with a uniform on the cover. Yet, when you get into the story, the backdrop of the cover comes to have a great meaning, and really highlight a beautiful element of the story.

Sales Links:  Harmony Ink eBook        All Romance (ARe)          Amazon            Ben Raphael’s All Star Virgins

Book Details:

ebook, 134 pages
Published September 25th 2014 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN139781632162571
other editions
None found

Book Blast: Skylar Wood and her release “Jade” (tour and contest)

JadeBanner300x250

Check out Skylar Wood’s latest story, Jade.  Read the excerpt and don’t forget to enter the contest below:

Book Name: Jade
Author Name: Skylar Wood

Author Bio:

Skylar Wood lives in the very beautiful, lively and fun filled City of Edmonton, Alberta Canada, where there is always something going on, summer or winter. She feels it’s a great place to be.

Skylar is a reading fanatic and only wishes she had more time to do it. Jade is her first venture into the writing arena. She says that writing is hard work but it’s a refreshing change from her nine to five job. It provides fantasy and escape. She truly enjoyed writing Jade, a lesbian romance novel, stating it was a neat sexual fantasy to explore through the pages of a book and that writing Jade and seeing it publication has been one of the best experiences of her life.

Author Contacts:

Title: Jade by Skylar Wood
Publisher: Dark Hollow Press
Cover Artist: 3 Rusted Spoons Cover Design

Sales Links: www.darkhollowspress.com

Beauty In DarkJade Blurb:

Jade Tanner appears to have it all. To the world she is a self-made billionaire and business woman extraordinaire. However, it’s lonely sitting atop the corporate world, and more and more Jade can’t help but feel empty inside.

A secret sexual fantasy life begins as she starts chatting online with a beautiful young escort named Twylla Star. Becoming deeply immersed in this fantasy world, her desire to meet this woman soon becomes so overwhelming that Jade finds herself booking a date with her.

Meeting the delectable Twylla in Las Vegas, Jade is unprepared for the impact Twylla has on her the moment she holds the other woman in her arms. What started out as an unfettered sexual weekend with someone she’d never seen again, suddenly turns into something more.

When lust turns to love, are they strong enough to let go of the past to build a future together? And what will happen when the real world comes crashing back in?

Categories: Contemporary, Lesbian Romance

Jade Excerpt:

Twylla reached over in the bed for Jade only to find she was gone. She got out of bed and stumbled into the washroom to splash water on her face and then went in search of Jade. She found her in the kitchen. She was surprised at the surge of tenderness she felt when she looked at this woman, busy on her laptop. She had never felt anything like this for a date before.

“Morning,” she said, reaching her arms around Jade and kissing her neck.

“Morning, beautiful,” she replied, then kissed Twylla on the lips.

Pulling apart, she glanced at the computer screen. The name on the email was Jade Tanner. Twylla’s heart almost stopped in her chest.

Could this be the Jade Tanner, the founder of Jade Cosmetics and Tanner Enterprises? If so the woman she had spent the night with was a multi-billionaire. She kept a very low profile, so Twylla didn’t know what she looked like and hadn’t connected the name with the cosmetics tycoon. She knew Jade was very publicly against porn, and the sex industry in general. It didn’t make sense that the Jade Tanner would hire her for sex. Maybe the name was a coincidence.

She thought of all the times she had dated older gross men hoping they would take her as their mistress or possibly even see her as a wife. All of them saw her simply as a whore they had purchased. With Jade it had felt different. They had connected immediately. Their lovemaking had been erotic, sensual and blissful. She had enjoyed Jade’s body just as much as Jade had seemed to enjoy hers.

Jade closed her computer. “I’ve made coffee if you want it.”

She most definitely did. Walking away from her, she was aware of Jade watching her. She knew the power of her beauty and sexuality. Leaning against the counter, she turned so her robe fell partially open giving a teasing glimpse of her breasts.

Tour Dates: October 7, 2014

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, My Fiction Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, Jade Crystal, Rainbow Gold Reviews, The Hat Party, Andrew Q. Gordon, Cate Ashwood, Prism Book Alliance, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, All I Want and More Books, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Amanda C. Stone, Iyana Jenna, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Velvet Panic, Fallen Angel Reviews, Queer Town Abbey, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake

Contest: Rafflecopter Prize: Copy of ‘Jade’ e-book. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Contest entry form and additional contest details to be found at the Rafflecopter link provided below.

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A MelanieM Review: Midsummer Baker (Midsummer #4) by Megan Derr

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

A sweet baker with spicy taste…

midsummerbaker400Marcell is Midsummer’s baker. While he works for his aunt in the family bakery, he’s the one with the magic baker’s touch.  A good and quiet lad, Marcel is hiding secrets  of the past and of the heart. Those of the past are known only to himself and two others reviled by the citizens of Midsummer.  Marcell’s life has not been without pain wether it was the loss of his parents or the bullying he encountered at school but the truth is about to come out and no one is prepared for the consequences.

The Withers Boys, Boyd and Tye Withers, are faerie half-brothers,  Their faerie mother died, leaving them when they were in their late teens but really she had abandoned them much earlier drowning herself in booze.  Known for their green thumbs and ability to always be in trouble, the Withers Boys have their own secrets to hide.

A stolen hideaway, a dark night, and  evil on the prowl.  What happens when all the hidden secrets are exposed?  Will Marcell find a happiness he never thought would be his?

Midsummer Baker is probably my third favorite of the Midsummer stories to date.  More a series of vinaigrettes than a cohesive tale, it still brings plenty of surprising layers and heart to this tale of love in the most unlikely of places. Each chapter represents a slice from Marcell’s life.  From these, we are able to build a picture of a sweet child who was the target not only of bullies at school, but someone worse.   Now grown, Marcell has harbored not only the secrets from his past but a hidden love that he feels will never be returned.  Marcell is such a sweet character it is easy to connect with him and his dreams.

The Withers Boys now have names.  Before Midsummer  Baker, they only appeared as references to mischief makers often in trouble with the law and various members of the community.  Now we get their painful back story, and they become not pests to be avoided but teenagers and young adults with a poignant sad story of their own.   Unexpectedly, there is a hidden connection to Marcell and the drama and romance takes off.  I wish we had more of Tye and Boyd.  They are great characters that deserve a  longer and deeper in scope story than this one.

There is publisher note included at the bottom that contains spoilers to the story.  It references the type and variety of love story found here.  I didn’t find it offensive but others might.  If anything other than a strict M/M squicks your bonnet, then you just might want to check out the note below.  Otherwise, I liked the story, love the series and want to see Megan Derr what happens next when Derr returns to Midsummer once more.

Categories: Free Read Gay Paranormal Poly Urban Fantasy

 

Cover art by Megan Derr.  Love the cover.

Sales Links:     Less Than Three Press       Amazon          Midsummer Baker  ($0.99)

Book Details:

Editors note:  Contains stepbrother incest and threesomes

free ebook, 18 pages at Less Than Three Press
Published July 19th 2011 by Less Than Three Press (first published August 29th 2010)
original titleMidsummer Baker
ISBN139781936202843
edition languageEnglish
seriesMidsummer #4

Midsummer Series in order they were written and should be read (available in print, ebook and audio):

Midsummer Moon
Midsummer Curse
Midsummer Law
Midsummer Baker
Midsummer Days (Print collection of all stories)

Get Fired Up with Morticia Knight’s Sin City Uniforms Book !, All Fired Up (tour and contest)

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Book Name: All Fired Up (Sin City Uniforms #1)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Morticia Knight

Author Bio:

M/M and M/M/F Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys a good saucy tale – after all, who doesn’t? Since she loves several genres, you may find your heroes in a contemporary, historical, paranormal or sci-fi setting. One of her passions is bringing people’s fantasies to life on the page, because life is too short for even one boring moment. Her stories are volcanic in heat, deep in emotion, and sprinkled with doses of humor.

When not indulging in her obsession for books, she loves the outdoors, film and music. The Pacific Northwest is the ideal spot to enjoy both hiking and beachcombing. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She now resides on the northern coast of Oregon, where the constant rain and fog remind her of visits to family in England and Scotland when she was a child.

She is currently working on the Sin City Uniforms Series and a BDSM spin-off to the Gin & Jazz series entitled The Hampton Road Club. A follow-up to Bryan and Aubrey’s story in Rockin’ the Alternative will be available in 2015.

Author Contact:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/morticia.knight
https://twitter.com/MorticiaKnight

Publisher: Totally Bound
Cover Artist: Posh Gosh
Sales Links: https://www.totallybound.com/all-fired-up

All Fired Up Blurb:

allfiredup_800Officer Shawn Everly patrols the Strip and one night, fireman Trent Marshall saves him when danger strikes. But it’s still uncertain whether Trent can save himself from getting his heart broken by Shawn.

The party never ends on the Las Vegas strip but neither does the danger. Officer Everly is new to the beat, having recently relocated to Vegas from Los Angeles. Foot patrol on the Strip is a demanding assignment because he’s up close and personal with the public. But what he’d really like to do is get up close and personal with Station 32’s hunky fireman, Trent Marshall.
Trent has been a fireman for over ten years and is dedicated to his job. He’s built tough and is a no-nonsense man of few words. At a local blood drive, Trent meets the handsome new officer on foot patrol but won’t let himself get too close. He’s lost love before when his policeman lover was killed in the line of fire.

During an emergency, Trent’s over-protective instincts kick in when he believes Shawn is in harm’s way. He ends up embarrassing and angering Shawn in front of their fellow officers, which seems as though it will end any hope of Trent having a chance with the young man he can’t push from his mind. Shawn can’t decide whether he wants to punch or kiss Trent. Kissing wins. Once they spend some time together away from the stresses of their jobs, they find that they’re not just compatible—they’re combustible.
But Trent can’t seem to accept that there are hazards that come with working in law enforcement. Right as they’re discovering how much they mean to one another, the danger escalates on the Strip. The underground vigilante group, The Citizens Against Immorality, have raised the stakes. Will Shawn and Trent be their next targets?

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Thriller

All Fired Up Excerpt:

“Oh shit! He hasn’t come back up yet!”

One of the onlookers pointed in the direction of where the swimmer had been only seconds before. All that remained were small ripples on the surface of the water.

Goddammit.

Moving quickly, Shawn tore off his duty belt, frantically toeing off his shoes as he did. Before Vicki had the opportunity to register what was happening, Shawn thrust the equipment at her. To her credit, she wordlessly grabbed it. He boosted himself over the banister and dropped into the water—it wasn’t deep enough at the banks for him to dive safely, only about four feet. But it was fucking cold, much more so than he’d expected. Shawn gritted his teeth and swam desperately toward the dark shape floating just below the surface of the lake. He was soaking wet but his mouth was dry. His heart beat wildly as he propelled himself forward.

By the time he reached the victim, he was no longer able to touch the bottom at all. He turned the man over, wrapping his arm around his chest, keeping his head above water. Shawn’s muscles burned with the stress of hauling the limp weight of the unconscious drunk to safety through the frigid waters, and from swimming using only one arm to pull them both along.
Taking in big gulps of air, he noted that several emergency vehicles had arrived. He could barely make out the yellow engine that he was certain would be from nearby Station 32. There were additional police units, the red truck of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, as well as at least one ambulance.

The drunk woke with a start, choking and gasping, fighting Shawn’s attempts to save his life. Shawn was pulled under – he’d barely had a chance to take a breath. His feet hit the bottom and Shawn propelled both of them back up out of the water. It was only a few seconds before he was dragged under again. Weakening, Shawn tried once more, but he barely broke the surface. Right as he sucked in a breath, he was yanked down and he took in more water than air.

Oh shit. Might be drowning.

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:
October 6: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
October 7: Rainbow Gold Reviews, The Novel Approach
October 8: Sinfully Sexy, The Hat Party
October 9: Cathy Brockman Romances
October 10: All I Want and More Books, Guilty Indulgence Book Club
October 13: Andrew Q. Gordon
October 14: Fallen Angel Reviews, Hearts on Fire
October 15: Jade Crystal
October 16: Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Because Two Men Are Better Than One
October 17: Regular Guys, Hot Romance, Butterfly-O-Meter
October 20: Prism Book Alliance
October 21: Multitasking Mommas, Dawn’s Reading Nook
October 22: Inked Rainbow Reads
October 23: Tara Lain
October 24: Carly’s Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Up All Night, Read All Day
October 27: Wake Up Your Wild Side, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Amanda C. Stone
October 28: Queer Town Abbey, Kimi-Chan
October 29: My Fiction Nook
October 30: Cate Ashwood
October 31: Foxylutely Book Reviews, Love Bytes

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card + Signed copy of All Fired Up. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided to enter and for additional contest details.

 Contest Scavenger Hunt Secret fact from Fired Up:
1. Firefighter Trent Marshall has a thing for cops, but he’s afraid of losing another lover in the line of fire.

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Cover Reveal for Unicorns and Rainbow Poop by Sam Kadence (contest)

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Need a little wonder in your life?  Check out the new cover for  Sam Kadence’s Unicorns and Rainbow Poop!  There is an excerpt to read and a contest to enter! Now on to  our cover reveal…

Book Name: Unicorns and Rainbow Poop
Author Name: Sam Kadence

Author Bio:

Sam Kadence has always dreamed about being someone else, somewhere else. With very little musical talent, Sam decided the only way to make those dreams come true was to try everything from cosplay at the local anime conventions to writing novels about pretending to run away to become a musician.

Sam has a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, sells textbooks for a living, enjoys taking photographs of Asian Ball Joint Dolls to tell more stories, and has eclectic taste in music from J-pop to rock and country. All of which finds its way into the books eventually.

Author Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008292783586&fref=ts&ref=br_tf
https://www.facebook.com/SamKadence
@parisbvamp

10722326_10204675409863614_1859204750_oPublisher: Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist:  Aaron Anderson
Sales Links for Dreamspinner Press:  eBook    Paperback

Unicorns and Rainbow Poop Blurb:

Ex-boyband member Dane Karlson is struggling to overcome an eating disorder and a body dismorphic disorder. His fall through a glass table puts him in rehab and on the road to recovery. Then a friend dies. When depression causes him to lose ground, he calls for the only person he trusts–former bandmate Tommy. But Tommy doesn’t know how to help. He begs his friend Sebastian “Bas” Axelrod to aid them through the emotional struggle.

Bas, an openly gay high school student who’s recently lost his grandmother, is trying to survive his last few months of school before escaping to Stanford. Having just lost the only person in his family to care for him, he is victim to the cruelty of the others. His younger brother bullies him, and his parents are suing him for his gran’s inheritance. When Tommy calls, Bas can’t help but run to his side.

Together Dane and Bas find a middle ground, supporting each other through the lows, dancing together during the highs. They build friendships and plan for the prom and graduation, thinking positively as long as they are together.

Categories: YA, Contemporary, m/m

Unicorns and Rainbow Poop Excerpt:

“So I was thinking since you and I both care about Tommy, we have something in common. See, Tommy is stressed, and I thought we could do something nice for him.”

Dane sat but glared at the man suspiciously. “What sort of nice thing?”

Bas motioned to the bags. “We’re going to make him cookies.”

Dane gulped. “I don’t like food.”

“You won’t be eating it. Tommy will. He canceled a class to come here. Did he tell you? He was taking a theater class at the community college back in Minnesota. Had to withdraw to be here. And with college, you know that means giving up any money paid. Not that money matters much to you guys. Though as young as you all are, I hope you’re well invested.”

Bas shrugged at him and began taking things out of the bags. Flour, eggs, sugar—both white and brown—food coloring, butter, vanilla, and lemons.

“I didn’t know,” Dane said quietly. He’d thought Tommy would be the least affected by his problems. Of course he’d been wrong about that too. Couldn’t he do anything right? “I don’t know anything about cooking.”

“That’s okay. I got this recipe online. It’s pretty easy. We’re making unicorn poop cookies.”

“What?”

“They are sugar cookies with food coloring in them to make them all rainbow-like. Unicorns are good luck and all that. Supposed to be the embodiment of goodness and purity.” Bas picked up his tablet, tapped the screen, and flipped it so Dane could see. The cookies really did look like a big pile of rainbow poop.

“Looks tasty,” Dane grumbled.

“We shall see, right? Think you can measure for me?” He pulled out a couple of cookie sheets and turned on one of the many ovens. “I got permission to use the kitchen here, but we can’t get too rowdy or they’ll kick me out.” He winked at Dane. “I’m pretty sure the orderlies outside are to make sure I’m not burning the place down.”

Dane got up and moved around the counter to stare at the list of ingredients. Bas plugged in a big mixer and took the mixing bowl out of it, bringing it to the counter for them to fill.

“This is really for Tommy?”

“Sure. We can send some to Ru and Adam too if you’d like. I heard they are only an hour or so away.”

“I don’t want Ru to know I’m here,” Dane said immediately. He didn’t need to mess up anyone else’s life.

“No worries. We need tell them nothing other than that they are from you.”

RainbowBadgeTour Dates: October 6, 2014

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Andrew Q. Gordon, Amanda C. Stone, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, BFD Book Blog, My Fiction Nook, The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Foxylutely Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Cathy Brockman Romances, Fallen Angel Reviews, Rebecca Cohen Writes, The Blogger Girls, Cate Ashwood, A_TiffyFit’s Reading Corner, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Smoocher’s Voice, Will Parkinson, Love Bytes, Multitasking Mommas, Twinsie Talk, Iyana Jenna

Contest: Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided to enter and for all additional contest details.

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