Category: Uncategorized

An Ashlez Review: Goalie Interference (Hat Trick #2) by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn

Rating – 5 out of 5 slapshots

It’s goalie vs. goalie in this brand-new enemies-to-lovers hockey romance from Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn… 

Ryu Mori has had a stellar season as goalie for the Atlanta Venom. So when he’s called into management’s office, he’s expecting to hear he’s the new starting goalie for the team, not that some new guy—an incredibly hot, annoyingly bratty rookie—is here to compete for his spot.

Not everyone gets to play in the best league in the world. Emmitt Armstrong knows that, and he’s not about to waste the opportunity after grinding his way from the bottom to the top. If the Venom is looking for a meek, mild-mannered pushover, they’ve got the wrong guy.

Ryu doesn’t want to admit the other goalie’s smart mouth turns him on. Beating Armstrong at practice feels good, sure, but there are other, more fun ways to shut his rival up.

In this league, it’s winner takes all. But there’s more to life than winning, and if Emmitt and Ryu can get past their egos and competitive natures, they might just discover they work better as partners than they ever imagined possible.

I said this after the first book but I truly adore hockey romances, especially when they’re done well and have a lot of hockey in it – it’s like I’m in the game but not and it’s amazing.  The worldbuilding for the Venom is just amazing to me, the whole team and everything about them.
My brother was a goalie throughout his school years and I know what hard work and how hard they work to get where they are, and some of the descriptions in this book are so on par it’s unreal.
I loved Ryu he was my favourite side in the first book and I’m so glad I got to continue on with his story – he seemed so father figure and rigid and I’m glad to see Emmitt was so good at bantering with him – I loved the relationship progression of course, it felt smooth and easy.

Hockey fans/steamy romance fans ..definitely check out this book it’s 5/5 slapshots for sure!

Cover art: Goalies, so apt, but the contrast colours are so appealing and popping!

Sales Links: Carina Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: September 30th 2019 by Carina Press
ISBN 1488053804 (ISBN13: 9781488053801)
Edition Language English
Series Hat Trick #2
Characters Ryu Mori, Emmitt Armstrong
setting Atlanta, Georgia (United States)

Hat Trick Series

Off the Ice

Goalie Interference

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review : The Secrets We Keep by Rick R Reed

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Rick Reed delivers a powerful love story wrapped in a multitude of emotions. Jasper Warren, the principal character, is a young gay man living in Chicago with his bestie, Lacy. She’s perfectly happy tagging along as his wingman when he hits the nightlife Chicago offers. But when tragedy strikes, Jasper blames himself for not realizing how much Lacy really loved him. He’s spent most of his life alone, ever since his mother and younger sister were murdered and his father grew so remote, quiet, and introspective that he never interacted with Jasper, the only family he had left. He grew up in the same house as his dad but without the love and support one would expect from family. And, until she’s gone, Jasper never realizes she had become the family of his heart.

When Lacy’s uncle Rob befriends Jasper, the two bond over their losses. And, actually, Jasper wouldn’t mind more than friendship from the handsome, older silver fox. Those who enjoy family drama will love this story as there is both past and current familial drama as well as drama related to family of choice. The story primarily focuses on relationships: parents and children, friends and lovers, and, more subtly, a focus on the words and actions we use to hurt others, whether purposely or accidentally. In fact, sometimes, it’s not the action, but the failure to act, that causes the most harm.

Within the story, Rob, who happens to be a well-known author, cites the differences between fiction and real life and notes that “in real life, we need to think about using few words and making the ones we do use more meaningful.” So very true! Missed opportunities, lingering misunderstandings, and the complexity of our very human day-to-day existence can all cause far-reaching relationship problems. I loved the way the author wove these experiences into the story so readers could draw their own conclusions and see the life lessons as simply human experiences, for better or worse.

Over and above the outstanding plot, the author’s love for Palm Springs comes through loud and clear, as does his familiarity with the Chicago area.

Jasper’s fierce independent streak carries throughout the story, and there is a potentially happy future for him and Rob on the horizon, but he has also learned to value his self-confidence and his newfound positive relationship with his dad as the story closes. 

I highly recommend this to lovers of strong characters and those who enjoy age gap, hurt-comfort, redemption, and independence. 

The cover by Reese Dante, done in a black-and-white tone, features two men—one turned toward the camera, and one in side view. The overall effect is that of strife, anxiety, fear, and shame—all emotions evoked by the secrets they keep. 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Book Details:

ebook, 195 pages
Published September 17th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN1 39781644055656
Edition Language English

Don’t Miss Out on the Special Review Tour and Giveaway for The Secrets We Keep by Rick R Reed (Excerpt)

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
 
Length: 195 pages
 
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
 
Cover Design: Reese Dante
 
Blurb
 

Jasper Warren is a happy-go-lucky young man in spite of the tragedy that’s marred his life. He’s on a road to nowhere with his roommate, Lacy, whom he adores, and a dead-end retail job in Chicago.


And then everything changes in a single night. Though Jasper doesn’t know it, his road is going somewhere after all. This time when tragedy strikes, it brings with it Lacy’s older, wealthy, sexy uncle Rob. Despite the heart-wrenching circumstances, an immediate connection forms between the two men.


But the secrets between them test their attraction. Will their revelations destroy the bloom of new love… or encourage it to grow?

Excerpt
 

It’s always exciting for me, both as a writer and as a reader, when the two main lovers in a book first meet. In THE SECRETS WE KEEP, that first meeting is at a funeral home wake, for someone both men loved deeply (and for whom many of the secrets in the book are kept).

***



When he stepped out of the bathroom, someone was waiting for him. An older man.


Jasper tried to thread his way around the guy. “Did you want to go in?” Jasper gestured toward the open bathroom.


“No. I was waiting for you.” The guy eyed him. He was probably a good twenty years older than Jasper, but as inappropriate as it was at a time like this, Jasper couldn’t help noticing how sexy he was. Trim, a little on the short side, it was obvious, even in his impeccably tailored black suit, he was in very good, and very powerful, shape. Jasper was certain those weren’t shoulder pads testing the seams at the tops of his arms.


He had kind eyes. And they were the most amazing shade of pale gray. Jasper had seen a husky once with eyes like that; he couldn’t say he’d ever seen anything like it on a human being. Those eyes were mesmerizing, arresting, and chilling, framed in long, black lashes.


His hair was silver, shorn close on the sides with a bit more on top, spiked with some gel.


He wore a fashionable five-o’clock shadow that Jasper couldn’t deny he wanted to feel—either with his fingers or against his own smooth cheeks.


“For me?” Jasper smiled. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”


He simply smiled enigmatically. “Probably not. But I bet I know you. You’re Jasper, Heather’s roommate, right?”


“Yeah. And you are?”


“I’m Robert. Robert Burroughs.” He extended his hand.


Jasper gripped the warm hand, slightly soft and a little damp. He didn’t take his eyes off Robert the whole time, and the “whole time” was much longer than the duration of a handshake for most guys. It sent a shiver through Jasper.


“Burroughs?” Jasper had a terrifying thought. What if this is her dad? Good Lord, I’m flirting with Lacy’s dad! At her funeral! The very thought caused beads of sweat to pop out on Jasper’s forehead. He held in a giddy burst of laughter. “Are you, um, related to Lacy? Er, Heather?”


Please don’t say you’re her father.


“I’m her uncle Rob. Did she never mention me?”


Jasper wracked his brain. One thing neither of them did much of was talk about their respective families. They liked to believe they were each other’s family now, “chosen family” was the term they used. The idea, the memory of this, brought a lump to Jasper’s throat, bringing home for real that his best friend was gone. “I’m not sure.”


“It’s okay if she didn’t. I hadn’t seen her in quite some time. My schedule doesn’t afford me much opportunity to see family, as much as I might want to.” He smiled, and Jasper noticed the sadness around his eyes despite it. Robert went on softly, “I wish I’d had one more chance to talk to her, to tell her how I loved her. I’m afraid she didn’t know.”


Jasper nodded. “Me too. If I could just talk to her one more time, maybe we wouldn’t be here.”


Robert cocked his head. “No?”


Jasper didn’t want to disabuse him of the notion that Lacy had not killed herself, if that was what he was choosing to believe. So he simply said, “Who knows?”


“Heather used to write sometimes, a long time ago. She’d shoot me a text, you know, a birthday emoji or a holiday one. We were close when she was a kid. I used to take her places with me whenever I could. Her parents never really got her, you know?”


“Oh, I know.”


“They were always trying to change her. Like, she was left-handed naturally, and they worked and worked and worked on getting her to use her right. They tried to get her to hang out with what they deemed the popular girls. They bought her American Girl dolls when all she wanted was a set of paints and a good book, preferably horror. I could stand here all day and tell you how little my brother and sister-in-law knew their girl. But I won’t.


“I just wish I’d stayed in better touch with her. Once my career took off, back when she was just becoming a teenybopper, I kind of got preoccupied and we lost touch.” He paused and Jasper noticed the tears standing in his incredible eyes. Unexpectedly, he laughed. “When she was a little girl, and I mean like three or four, she would sigh and say, ‘Woe is me.’ What little girl says that?”


“Lacy. It so figures.”


“You call her Lacy. Why?”


“That’s how she referred to herself. She was even thinking of legally changing her name. She hated Heather.”


Robert nodded. “I get that. I never thought of her as a Heather. I’m glad she found something else.” He glanced over his shoulder into the viewing room. “I wish they’d respected that.”


I do too. Jasper felt, suddenly, even sadder. For his own loss, sure, but more for Lacy’s loss. The rest of her life. She could have done so much. She could have been happy. He just knew it.


He placed his hand on Robert’s shoulder. “Look, I intended to stay longer, but I need to get out of here. This place is too oppressive. And it honestly feels like someone else is being waked, not the girl I know. So I’m gonna book. But it was nice to talk to you.”


Robert nodded. “Will you be at the funeral tomorrow morning?”


The funeral was set for one of Rogers Park’s Catholic churches. Then they’d fly the body back to California for burial in the family plot.


It was all wrong. All not what Lacy would have chosen.


Jasper shook his head. “No. I don’t think so. This isn’t her. I think I’ll just remember her as I knew her.”


Jasper turned away, feeling on the verge of tears. He didn’t want to cry in front of Lacy’s uncle—or anyone else gathered at the funeral home, for that matter.


As he reached the door, Robert’s voice stopped him.


“Jasper?”


He turned.


“Would you mind if I came with you? I need to get out of here too.”

 

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 5 star Review here.  We highly recommend it.

 

Real Men. True Love.


Rick R. Reed draws inspiration from the lives of gay men to craft stories that quicken the heartbeat, engage emotions, and keep the pages turning. Although he dabbles in horror, dark suspense, and comedy, his attention always returns to the power of love. He’s the award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction and is forever at work on yet another book. Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…” You can find him at www.rickrreed.com or www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA with his beloved husband and their fierce Chihuahua/Shiba Inu mix.


FIND RICK ONLINE



Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/rickrreedbooks
Twitter: www.twitter.com/rickrreed
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+RickReedWRITER
Blog: http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/
Website: www.rickrreed.com
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rick-r-reed
Email: rickrreedbooks@gmail.com

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A MelanieM Review :Arctic Heat (Frozen Hearts #3) by Annabeth Albert

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

A lasting connection needs more than simply surviving a winter together—they’ll have to outsmart danger, let down their defenses and open their hearts.

Owen Han has a fresh lease on life—he’s kicked cancer’s ass and is roaring through his bucket list. The former investment banker hopes to find his next challenge in Alaska, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Of course, those dreams did tend to feature big strapping mountain men in vivid detail…

Ranger Quilleran Ramsey would like to be anywhere other than dealing with newbie volunteers. And really, the only thing he needs less than a green volunteer “partner” is the flirty attentions of a buff city boy who doesn’t look ready to last a week, let alone an Alaskan winter. They’re all wrong for each other, even if Quill’s traitorous body enjoys the flirting more than it should.

As the weeks pass, the two snowbound men give in to temptation. But can their seasonal romance last until spring? For them to have a future together, each will have to trust the other…while hoping that the harsh elements and omnipresent dangers don’t destroy what happiness they’ve found in the moment.

As it turns out with Annabeth Albert’s Frozen Hearts series, third time really is the charm.  With Arctic Heat all the elements come together in this third installment of her series that’s set in Alaska to provide the reader with a remarkable heartwarming romance to remember.  It is my clear favorite to date with characters I immediately connected with, situations I understood and related to, and a rich, layered dynamic between the main characters that was so interesting, vulnerable and amazing that you couldn’t stop reading.

Plus there was all that starkly gorgeous landscape they were living in.

And while the men’s pasts stood like shadows around them, it was the fascinating give and take between the men in the present, their chemistry that kept you bound to them and the story. The fluctuating differences in dominance in their  relationships in and outside the bedroom, in Owen’s dominance in bed and Quill’s outside on the snow, both yin and yang in different elements of each other lives.  Just so perfect, watching as they maneuvered and figured it out for each other.

The dialogues and conversations felt authentic to the men and the dynamic happening between them.  The scenes often moving, the action when it happens hairraising.

What a story!  And did I say there is a dog too?

How I loved that ending.  And this story.  As I said it’s my favorite novel of this series to date.  I highly recommend Frozen Hearts and most definitely Arctic Heat. The last with a passion!

Cover art by Carina Press art department is lovely and works for the characters and storyline.

Sales Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Y3KUk9

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Arctic-Heat-Audiobook/1488206864

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/arctic-heat-annabeth-albert/1129779475?ean=9781488053610#/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/arctic-heat-4

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Annabeth_Albert_Arctic_Heat?id=8o6QDwAAQBAJ

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/arctic-heat/id1458215728

Book Details:

ebook
Published September 23rd 2019 by Carina Press
ISBN 1488053618 (ISBN13: 9781488053610)
Edition Language English
Series Frozen Hearts #3

 

A MelanieM Review: Flame and Ash (Witchbane #3) by Morgan Brice

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The third novel in the Witchbane series.

One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal. To keep their power, each year one of the witch-disciples kills a descendant of one of the men in the posse, a twelve-year cycle that has cost dozens of lives, including that of Seth Tanner’s brother, Jesse

Seth rescued Evan Malone from one of the witches, and they’ve fallen in love despite the danger and chaos, going on the road to complete the quest and bring an end to the ritual murders. Their relationship is new, their emotions are raw, and the danger is real. It’s a challenge to find their way as a couple while they’re on the road together in the close quarters of Seth’s RV, training in magic and combat skills to fight off a supernatural killer.

In pursuit of the next witch-disciple, Seth and Evan team up with older hunters Milo and Toby as their quest to stop a century-long killing spree takes them to a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They’re ahead of the sacrifice cycle, with plans to stop the murders and kill the dark witch. Only this time, the hunters become the hunted when the witch knows they’re coming to get him, and has deadly plans of his own. When their lives are on the line, will love be enough?

Flame and Ash contains sexually explicit content intended for adults 18 and over.

The search for the ancestors of the lynching party that killed the evil mage and mission to destroy his disciples before they continue their killing sprees picks up in Flame and Ash, book 3 of Witchbane.  And with each new black disciple Seth and Evan are investigating with the intention to find his next target and kill the disciple, Brice manages to deepen the horror, up the suspense, and just in general, make each book a deadlier and finer novel to read.

A far more realistic turn of events, as each new dark witch seems to be stronger and better prepared for them.  And much harder to kill for various reasons.    You would think it would be easier but no.  More facts are uncovered, each unpleasant and some downright shocking.  Often they need help and here we get to meet old friends we’ve heard about  through phone conversations or in passing when talking about Seth’s past.  I adored Milo and Toby and hope this is not the last time we interact with them.

Really, there’s nothing I can say without bringing up spoilers here.  The drama, suspense, and action is all superb and fast moving.  There is always a great supernatural element as well as the paranormal ones to boot.  Ghosts and runes, blood and death, hair raising chills and more fill these pages.

Plus romance, love and lots of great sex!

Each book also sees a deepening of the relationship between Seth and Evan as they continue to explore their new relationship and new areas of each other’s pasts that are still coming to light. As that happens, like a huge heavy black cloud that’s hovering over them and the horizon is the subject of the witch disciples still to be found along with their victims.  Each case is getting extremely vicious and more difficult to handle.  The odds of them surviving are going down, especially is they try to handle it alone.

All of which means I both can’t wait for the next story and I will approach it with extreme trepidation!  lol

I love this series and can’t highly recommend it enough to all lovers of romance and urban fantasy.  Start at the beginning and work your way here.  Then join me as we way to see what’s in store on the next leg of this incredible journey!

Cover art is perfect for the story and characters. Love it.

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 229 pages
Published September 5th 2019 by Darkwind Press
ASINB07XMGJVBR
Edition Language English
Series Witchbane #3

Witchbane Series

Witchbane

Burn 1.5

Dark Rivers 2

Flame and Ash 3

New Release Tour for Arctic Heat (Frozen Hearts #3) by Annabeth Albert (excerpt and giveaway)

ARCTIC HEAT by Annabeth Albert

Series: Frozen Hearts #3

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: Sept. 23 (ebook/audio), Oct 1 (print)

Length (Print & Ebook): 89,000 words

Subgenre: m/m contemporary romance/ action adventure m/m romance, interracial romance

Warnings: None.

All buy links or pre-order links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Y3KUk9

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Arctic-Heat-Audiobook/1488206864

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/arctic-heat-annabeth-albert/1129779475?ean=9781488053610#/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/arctic-heat-4

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Annabeth_Albert_Arctic_Heat?id=8o6QDwAAQBAJ

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/arctic-heat/id1458215728

Good reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44662238-arctic-heat

Praise for ARCTIC HEAT:

“Annabeth Albert’s delightful characters and thoughtful emotional touch give a lovely spin to opposites attract when they’re forced together in a cabin in the woods. We root for these guys–lone wolf Quilleran is a true foil for Owen, who is enthusiastically embracing his new lease on life.” -Bestselling Author, Amy Lane

“I really enjoyed the story. It was a fun read and believe it or not, I have been to the Hatcher Pass area of Alaska. The story was fun, sexy and passionate enough to melt an Alaskan snow field.” -Bestselling Author, Andew Grey

“I eagerly await every new Annabeth Albert release and ARCTIC HEAT did not disappoint. Sexy and snowbound with a touch of danger – do not miss this one!” -Bestselling Author, HelenKay Dimon

“Arctic Heat by Annabeth Albert … Owen and Quill are so wow…witnessing their friendship build is tangible and engaging …Albert’s ability to have characters connect without needing sex is astounding and speaks to this author talent!” -Denise, Shh Mom’s Reading Book Blog

Book synopsis:

A lasting connection needs more than simply surviving a winter together—they’ll have to outsmart danger, let down their defenses and open their hearts.

Owen Han has a fresh lease on life—he’s kicked cancer’s ass and is roaring through his bucket list. The former investment banker hopes to find his next challenge in Alaska, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Of course, those dreams did tend to feature big strapping mountain men in vivid detail…

Ranger Quilleran Ramsey would like to be anywhere other than dealing with newbie volunteers. And really, the only thing he needs less than a green volunteer “partner” is the flirty attentions of a buff city boy who doesn’t look ready to last a week, let alone an Alaskan winter. They’re all wrong for each other, even if Quill’s traitorous body enjoys the flirting more than it should.

As the weeks pass, the two snowbound men give in to temptation. But can their seasonal romance last until spring? For them to have a future together, each will have to trust the other…while hoping that the harsh elements and omnipresent dangers don’t destroy what happiness they’ve found in the moment.

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

This book is approximately 89,000 words

Excerpt :

“Tea for everyone. Then a hot shower and lots of blankets,” Owen declared as they entered the building, bossy streak making a blessed reappearance right when Quill really needed to not be the one thinking. If Owen had a plan, so much the better because Quill wasn’t good for much besides stripping off his gear, stowing his piece, stomping upstairs, and flopping into a kitchen chair. Owen draped one of the blankets from the couch around his shoulders before doing the same for himself, wearing it like a cape as he made tea. “Bourbon in yours? I found a bottle in the cabinet the other week.”

“Yeah.” Quill didn’t often imbibe, but he needed the burn of the liquor even more than any warmth-giving properties. The bourbon was there exactly for nights like this one where Quill had done his best and it still hadn’t been enough. Fucking universe and its random acts of cruelty.

After adding a healthy glug of liquor to each of their mugs, Owen shoved a cup at Quill. He also put a plate of cookies from the batch that got baked on the table. “Here you go. Eat something so the alcohol doesn’t hit too hard.”

“Feels like I should be the one taking care of you,” Quill admitted after he’d had a few sips of tea, let the warmth and burn work past the tightness in his throat and chest.

“We can take care of each other,” Owen countered, pulling his chair close to Quill’s. “That’s what we’re here for, right?”

A few hours ago, Quill would have argued that being alone was the best way to cope with something like this—find a way to push through and on to the next day either with the aid of some strong drink or just a restless night spent replaying the events until sleep did its thing, softened the edges of the awfulness. But when Owen grabbed his hand, squeezed, and looked at him with such compassion in his eyes, Quill couldn’t find it in himself to pull away.

“Yeah,” he said, even as he knew that he shouldn’t let himself come to need Owen like this, to lean on him. He and Hattie had always tended to retreat to their own corners after a hard shift, and he prided himself on being a strong man. Sure, accidents like this affected him as they would anyone, but he’d always tried to handle those emotions on his own. Harsh memories of his father’s comments about men who showed their feelings didn’t help any, but lately all those memories, all the family drama, seemed more distant. Less sharp.

And funny how without that mantle of a painful past, his present seemed somehow more hopeful, old wounds and past fears no match for Owen. In fact, they’d been on the verge of another disagreement when Owen had dropped everything to come help. And now here he was, taking care of Quill yet again. Owen simply didn’t seem to have it in him to hold a grudge too long. Quill would be a fool to pull away now, even if he knew the next night like this, the inevitable one after Owen left, would hurt that much more. But that moment, all he wanted to do was hold Owen close, take every comfort he offered from Christmas lights to hot toddies to underdone gingerbread to that strong hand of his, holding on when Quill needed it most.

 

Blog Tour Exclusive Q&A:

Q: Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

AA: Both characters, Quill and Owen, are special to me for different reasons. Quill, my grumpy park ranger, is special to me because he’s a more mature hero, but he’s also unaware of the extent of his own loneliness. Giving Quill the HEA he deserves was immensely satisfying. Owen, my optimistic new volunteer assigned to Quill, is special because he represents a character that I’ve wanted to do for a long time—one who survived a major medical scare and now has a second lease on life and is determined to make the most of each day.

Q: What was the inspiration for the story?

AA: My amazing critique partner and best friend, Wendy Qualls, came to me with the idea of how in remote areas, park rangers are often snowed in together for months at a time. I loved the idea immediately, and we started brainstorming. I brought in a lot of my favorite tropes—opposites attract, age gap, close proximity, building friendship, adventure, working together, and more as the plot started to take shape for me. Then later, I came up with the idea of making it series set in Alaska, and worked that plot bunny into the series. Book Three seemed to fit best for this one, so that’s where it landed, but initially it was the first plot bunny, and everything else sprang from that one.

Q: What is the key theme and/or message in the book?

AA: Love finds us where we least expect it, but most need it. Neither Owen nor Quill expects to find the love of their lives when they’re snowed in together for an Alaskan winter, but love has a way of finding people when they need it most and of healing old wounds and giving fresh courage. I really wanted to show how love can provide the best fresh start of all, even when we stay in the same place we’ve always been or when we venture thousands of miles out of our comfort zone—love finds those who need it most.

Q: What is the significance of the title?

AA: ARCTIC HEAT is actually the coldest book in the series—tons and tons of snow and snowed in fun. The heat totally comes from the chemistry between the main characters!

Q: If you had to describe the main characters in three words, what would those three words be?

AA: As the story opens, Quill is grumpy, lonely, and loyal. He’s grumpy about being assigned a new volunteer, lonely from long hours alone and with his BFF now assigned elsewhere, and he’s loyal to his job. Meanwhile, Owen is optimistic, fun, and adventure seeking. He’s an optimist who survived a health scare and now is seeking fun and adventure in Alaska.

Meet Annabeth Albert:

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Her critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series include the #FrozenHearts, #OutOfUniform, #Gaymers, #PortlandHeat, #RainbowCove and #PerfectHarmony series.

To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.

Connect with Annabeth:

Website: http://annabethalbert.com/

Newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/Nb9yv

Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/annabethsangels/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6477494.Annabeth_Albert

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Annabeth-Albert/e/B00LYFFAZK

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnabethAlbert

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbert

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annabeth_albert/

Giveaway

Giveaway: 1 winner will receive paperback copies of ARCTIC SUN, ARCTIC WILD, and ARCTIC HEAT + a Swag Pack! Open Internationally, must be 18 to win.

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Join Us for the Release Blitz for Not Another Statistic by JM Dabney (excerpt)

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Not Another Statistic

Yuri Sorenson Mysteries

J.M. Dabney

MM/Gay Fiction/Romance, Mystery/Suspense

Release Date: 09.24.19

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Cover Image – FuriousFotog (Golden Czermak)

Cover Model – Kevin R. Davis

Cover Art – J.M. Dabney

Blurb

Former Federal Agent Yuri Sorenson had left the bureau behind to become a private investigator. His ex-partner came to him asking for a favor, not knowing who else to trust. Yuri had always had a way of keeping his emotional distance from the people he protected, yet that changed the day Clarkson hesitantly limped into his life.

What happens when love is confused with pain? That’s the exact question Josh Clarkson had asked himself for years. He’d grown up in an overburdened foster care system, and from what he knew of love, he couldn’t expect anything but to be something tolerated. Was he meant to be more than a plaything or a piece of scenery? H could hope.

Two men who know nothing but being broken find that patience and acceptance are harder than losing hope. Is the leap of faith worth the reward of letting someone else in? Maybe they’ll find the strength to find out before the danger of Josh’s past tries to tear them apart.

Universal Link – https://books2read.com/u/bw2vV0

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Excerpt

The or, what the hell had I been thinking? I cursed myself as I unbuttoned my baby blue dress shirt that conformed to my slender upper body. As I stripped it off I studied myself in the bathroom mirror and draped the fine linen over the edge of the sink counter. I traced the fading scars that covered my chest and stomach. A few were still sensitive as I stroked the raised edges of tissue.

“They’re healing nicely.”

I jerked my eyes to the right in the mirror to find him watching me. An odd expression in his green eyes. I wondered what he thought of me. His attitude toward me had shifted but I still feared he saw me as he had the night I was led into his office. In his opinion was I still the pain addict whore that everyone made me out to be? At the club earlier I’d almost felt—normal. Like a well-adjusted man curled up against my date.

I mentally shook off my thoughts and my brain started to focus on other things. His unbuttoned shirt exposed the thick hair on his chest and stomach, his tie hanging loose. To keep from getting caught I returned to my perusal. My stomach was no longer concave and my ribs didn’t show through my pale skin. My cheeks face was filling out and I didn’t look like a skeleton. I knew I had more weight to gain in order to get up to fighting weight as he called it.

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong, baby boy?” His grumbly voice was low and soft, yet seemed to fill the room effortlessly.

“Just remembering.”

“Remembering what?” He asked as he entered the bathroom and stood behind me. There were several inches between us but I could still feel his body heat—his overwhelming presence—and my weakness called to me to lean back into his strength.

Something inside me was sick and rotten, I relied on him to keep me safe. He did little things that weren’t necessary. Like the espresso or candy, letting me pick a show on TV. They were stupid things but men didn’t do nice things for me just out of the kindness of their hearts. It always came with a price.

“Talk it out.”

Resistance was futile when his hands rested on my hips and he flexed his arms, pulling me back to his larger frame. The slightly coarse chest hair tickled my skin and my gaze flew to his. Nothing in his expression gave away his thoughts. He was as stoic as I remembered. That emotionless mask made me warier. While I didn’t think he’d physically hurt me, emotionally and mentally he could destroy me.

JM Dabney logo

J.M. Dabney is a multi-genre author who writes Body Positive/Diverse Romance and Fiction. They live with a constant diverse cast of characters in their head. No matter their size, shape, race, etc. J.M. lives for one purpose alone, and that’s to make sure they do them justice and give them the happily ever after they deserve. J.M. is dysfunction at its finest and they makes sure their characters are a beautiful kaleidoscope of crazy. There is nothing more they want from telling their stories than to show that no matter the package the characters come in or the damage their pasts have done, that love is love. That normal is never normal and sometimes the so-called broken can still be amazing.

The author is Gender Nonconforming are uses the preferred pronouns They/Them.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/J.M.DabneyAuthor/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/jmdabney_author

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authorjmdabney/?hl=en

Reader Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/585182991553194

Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/J.M.-Dabney/e/B006QZIFLE

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-m-dabney

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If You Love Mystery and the Supernatural, Check Out the Blog Tour for Flame and Ash (Witchbane #4) by Morgan Brice (excerpt and giveaway)

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Book Title: Flame and Ash (Witchbane #4)

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Release Date: September 5, 2019

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy, MM paranormal, MM romance

Trope/s: Second chance, established couple, hurt/comfort, monster hunting, supernatural creatures, magic, ghosts

Themes: Learning to trust, navigating a new relationship, sticking together when the going gets rough

Heat Rating:  4 flames

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Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

 

This time, the hunters become the hunted when the witch knows they’re coming to get him, and has deadly plans of his own. When their lives are on the line, will love be enough?

Blurb 

One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal. To keep their power, each year one of the witch-disciples kills a descendant of one of the men in the posse, a twelve-year cycle that has cost dozens of lives, including that of Seth Tanner’s brother, Jesse

Seth rescued Evan Malone from one of the witches, and they’ve fallen in love despite the danger and chaos, going on the road to complete the quest and bring an end to the ritual murders. Their relationship is new, their emotions are raw, and the danger is real. It’s a challenge to find their way as a couple while they’re on the road together in the close quarters of Seth’s RV,  training in magic and combat skills to fight off a supernatural killer.

In pursuit of the next witch-disciple, Seth and Evan team up with older hunters Milo and Toby as their quest to stop a century-long killing spree takes them to a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They’re ahead of the sacrifice cycle, with plans to stop the murders and kill the dark witch. Only this time, the hunters become the hunted when the witch knows they’re coming to get him, and has deadly plans of his own. When their lives are on the line, will love be enough?

Flame and Ash is the third novel in the Witchbane series. It is a MM romance intended for readers 18 years of age and older. 

 

Excerpt 

After all, Evan thought, what value do I bring to the situation? Six months of training had improved his skills, taught him a few more rote spells, and helped him understand more about the kinds of things that went bump in the night. Despite it all, Evan knew he had a long way to go before he could match Seth’s abilities, and he worried that he could be the weak link that cost Seth his life.

The trip from Pittsburgh to Boone would take most of the day, and while Evan offered to take a turn behind the wheel, he knew that Seth preferred to drive. When he wasn’t chasing down loose ends about the Boone situation on his computer, Evan planned to doze in the passenger seat, but dark dreams woke him more than once, earning him worried glances from Seth.

“Hey.” Seth’s voice roused Evan from his thoughts. “Whatever you’re thinking—let me in. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

“I just don’t want to let you down,” Evan admitted.

“You won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know that you’ve saved my ass more than once,” Seth replied. “And that was before we spent the last three months doing more training.” He reached out to take Evan’s hand. “I trust you. I believe in you. There’s no one I’d rather have beside me in a fight. And I love you.”

Evan’s throat tightened. “I love you, too. And I want to be here, doing this, with you. It’s just…I’m not really the action hero type.”

Seth chuckled. “And I am?”

“You were in the army. You’re a soldier. So, yeah.”

Seth sighed. “I went into the army to get away from a bad breakup. Not exactly the most noble reason. I did okay, I guess. I was lucky enough to come home. But I knew I wasn’t going to make a career out of it. Some guys, they get in, and they know that’s where they’re supposed to be. It becomes their home and family, like they were born for it.” He shook his head. “It was never that for me.”

“I made okay money, working at the bar.” Evan looked at the road instead of at Seth. “But something was always missing, you know? What I did didn’t really matter. This…” He gestured to mean the two of them, hunting, the search for the witch-disciples. “It makes a difference. Saves lives. Stops a hundred years of killing. It just seems like fate could have picked someone who was better prepared.”

Seth laid his hand on Evan’s thigh, solid and warm. “Hunting doesn’t work like that. You’ve talked to Travis and Brent and Mark. They didn’t train to be a hunter from the time they were kids. They lost people, and it changed them. And from that point on, they learned on the job,” Seth said. “Just like you.”

Evan managed a wan smile. “If this were a TV show, I’d want to skip to the finale, where we ride off into the sunset.”

“I wish we could,” Seth admitted. “But I’m afraid there’s no fast-forward on real life.”

 

About the Author 

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.

Other books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, and Badlands, Lucky Town, and The Rising, plus Treasure Trail. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

I’ll be a Featured Author at GRL in October and also at Coastal Magic in February!

Join my Worlds of Morgan Brice Facebook Group! Get the early scoop on upcoming books and new series, see new covers first, enjoy insider news and special contests and giveaways! Plus it’s where I get my beta readers and launch team!

 

Author Links

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Facebook Group

Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail)

Twitter: @MorganBriceBook

Website

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Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a new release

 

 

Giveaway 

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Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here

 

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A Caryn Review: Last Call in Wonderland by Rob Browatzke

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

You know that line from the old poem, “when she was good, she was very very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid”?  I think that expresses my thoughts about this book perfectly, and that made it very hard to rate.  The first 80% was shallow and boring – at least the characters were – and then it got very intense, very fast, and made me think about recent real world events in a much deeper and more personal way than I ever had before.  I was glad I finished the book, but have to admit that if I wasn’t reading for a review, I would have quit very early on.

The story is told from multiple points of view, from each of a very close group of friends who regularly party together at (and in the case of Brandon and Aaron, work at) the club Wonderland.  This is the third book in a series, and though I did not read the first two, it clearly works as a stand-alone.  Two couples – Jesse and Colton, and Steve and Alex – bartender Brandon, drag queen Aaron, club owner Chess, and a few other side characters each speak in chapters (fortunately titled by character so you can keep track of who’s speaking, which would otherwise be difficult) in a roughly chronological narrative.  At first, it seems to be random musings of good-looking, oversexed, shallow, alcoholic party boys, and I was completely turned off.  I couldn’t even say it was porn with plot, because there is minimal explicit sex, and there didn’t seem to be much plot.

The basis of the book is that Wonderland, the iconic gay club of River City that was founded by Chess and his partner Jack a generation ago in the early 90s, is finally closing its doors.  There are only 4 weeks, 4 final Saturdays, before this landmark of the gayborhood (a term used very frequently that to me is like nails on a chalkboard) will be no more.  It is the end of an era, and for this group of friends, it almost seems like the end of their lifestyle – because where else will they get blackout drunk and pick up random gorgeous guys to fuck?  It caused the men to examine not only the current way they were living, but also to realize that they really didn’t have any particular plans for the future, and that maybe they should, and maybe there was more to life than the next shot of tequila or the next hot threesome.

The only character that I really connected with was Chess.  The decision to close Wonderland was a difficult one for him – he reflected on what the world was like for gays and lesbians when they first opened, when a gay dance club was a safe place for them to gather and be themselves.  When society was more homophobic, when AIDS was the “gay plague”, when nothing about being gay was mainstream.  How ironic it was that as society became more accepting, that places like Wonderland were becoming unnecessary and irrelevant.  That the dream of acceptance that his generation fought for was beginning to come true, but diminished the importance and meaning of his club, his baby.  I found that whole discussion quite poignant, and resonant.

There is no way to discuss the events that changed how I felt about the book without giving extensive spoilers, so I won’t do that.  Suffice to say, circumstances shocked these shallow party boys into something a little more mature.  The way they experienced the suffering and pain of those events redeemed them to some extent for me, but I found myself again not really connecting to them, but to the collective emotion of the situation.

I can’t wholeheartedly recommend the book, but it had its moments.  Not enough that I would go back and read the first two in the series though….

Cover art: Alexandria Corza.  It’s eye catching, yet retains enough dark elements that run through the novel.

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Paperback  |  Amazon UK

Book Details:

Buy for $6.99 or try Kindle Unlimited to read over a million titles
Kindle Edition, 334 pages
Published August 4th 2019
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A MelanieM Review: The Good Green Earth (Colors of Love #3) by VL. Locey

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

After the Syracuse Stallions clinch the championship, Nathan Zinkan, the renowned wild man of the AHL is arrested for a DUI. Again. When a no-nonsense judge adds a heavy dose of community service to an already stiff sentence, Nathan has to forget a summer of partying and slide on a pair of gardening gloves. His entire future now rides on how well he can behave while helping elderly urban gardeners tend to their tomatoes.

Watching local garden center owner Bran Cavanaugh working without his shirt is a benefit he wasn’t expecting. Pity Bran is also the one in charge of the community garden as well as keeping tabs on Nathan’s hours served. The two men are instantly at odds due to Nathan’s rebellious nature and Bran’s icy demeanor. Yet there’s no denying the attraction that begins to build between the hot-headed athlete and the cool as a cucumber master gardener.

Will their attraction grow into something deeper, or will it wither and die on the vine?

The Color of Love series just keeps growing in depth and richness with each new story.  The characters and the situations of the latest novel,The Good Green Earth (Colors of Love #3) by VL. Locey, certainly demonstrate how greatly this author not only loves the men and game of hockey but is still able to widen her universe and include a believable town or village in this case that also grows over the series.  We add families and businesses, locations, and a real sense of community that infects the reader with a familiarity of coming home when we pick up each story and dive into the series once more.

Here we get introduced to wild man Nathan Zinkan, coming off yet another DUI, and not exactly repentant.  His team won and, well, he’s expected to party right?  Boom, we are thrust immediately into Nathan’s mindset, one that will slowly undergo a change, a huge seachange, as Nathan matures and grows in a new environment.  I love how we grow to love Nathan and understand the man, his past, watch the baby steps and then the larger ones appear as he moves towards a larger future. Every part is realistic, humbling, gritty in parts, and endearing as well.

There with him as a blockade, and then as a friend and supporter, and then as someone who loves him, is Bran Cavanaugh, a man who understands loss and people who don’t exactly “color within the lines”.  Bran is another one of those special characters who will stay with you. The combination of Bran and Nathan, along with their ever changing dynamics keep you glued to this story that is full of emotions.  Laughter, so much laughter (watch out for that scene in the trailer), and tears too.  It reads as authentic in the struggles to move forward, whether it’s the need to continue a person’s sobriety or to end mourning the loss of a deep love.

I certainly could have stayed with this couple for several more stories.  This couple, the seniors in  the garden plots, and the friends that surround them.  Oh, my, be prepared for some side splitting laughter!  Gentle, hilarious, real, how I could see it all happening and happily reread those parts immediately.

Yes, I think this is my favorite book so far in the series.

And I love this series.

Not familiar with any of these stories?  You’re in luck!  They are listed below.  Check them all out and then come and get this one.  It’s a true gem, one you will reread  and keep smiling about.

How on earth will the author top this ?

Cover Design: Designs By Sloan. Not my favorite cover.  Does brand the series but where is the garden or hockey elements?

Sales Links:  Amazon 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 230 pages
Published September 16th 2019
ASIN B07XZN29SD
Series Colors of Love


Colors Of Love Series


Book #1 – Lost In Indigo – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 – Touch Of A Yellow Sun – Amazon US | Amazon UK