Here’s A Valentine for You From Toni Griffin~ A Very Holland Valentine! (book tour and contest)

A Very Holland Valentine (Holland Brothers #6) by Toni Griffin
Release Date: February 14, 2015

Author Toni Griffin Bio:

Toni Griffin lives in Darwin, the smallest of Australia’s capital cities. Born and raised in the state she’s a Territorian through and through. Growing up Toni hated english with a passion (as her editors can probably attest to) and found her strength lies with numbers.   Now, though, she loves escaping to the worlds she creates and hopes to continue to do so for many years to come. She’s a single mother of one and works full time. When she’s not writing you can just about guarantee that she will be reading one of the many MM authors she loves.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toni.griffin.author
Website: http://www.tonigriffin.net/
E-mail: info(at)tonigriffin.net
https://twitter.com/MischiefCorner

Publisher: Mischief Corner Books
Cover Artist: Freddy MacKay

Sales Links:

More About “A Very Holland Valentine”…

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and with it the completion of the renovations to their home. None could be happier about this then Zack who can’t wait to get away from Maryanne and all her fussing.

Plans are being finalised for all four couples for the happy day. However, sleezy tradies, an over protective mother-in-law and unexpected complications throw spanners in the works.
Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, wolf shifters

Pages or Words: 24,000 words

A Very Holland Valentine Excerpt:

Simon sat at his desk, looking over yet another financial report. The numbers were swimming on the screen, all blurring into one large incomprehensible blob. He pushed back from his desk and rubbed his eyes. They were watering from staring at his computer for so long.

He stood and walked to the window. The view wasn’t anything breathtaking, but Simon still loved it anyway. He was on the first floor and he could see the town he loved from his window.

His mind wasn’t on his work. Rarely had been since he’d found out he was going to be a father. Yes, he was already a dad. He loved Hayley with all his heart and treated her as if she were his own. But the utter joy he’d felt the morning they discovered Zack was carrying had stayed with him all this time, even seven weeks later.

Dr. Owens had examined Zack and let them know that he was due to deliver at the end of February. Only four weeks away and Simon couldn’t wait. He’d missed out on Hayley’s early years, and after watching his brothers with their children, Simon really couldn’t wait to hold his son or daughter. He was even looking forward to the midnight feedings and the dirty diapers.

He checked his watch. Seeing it was coming up for four in the afternoon, Simon decided to call it a day. He didn’t usually leave that early, but there was nothing in his tray that couldn’t wait for tomorrow, and frankly, he couldn’t concentrate.

Simon wanted to see his mate.

Zack was stunning all swollen with his child. Zack might not think so, but Simon did. The knowledge that he had filled his mate with his seed and they had created life together struck at the heart of Simon. He wanted to growl with pride every time he laid eyes on the love of his life. He didn’t think the rest of his family would appreciate it, though, so kept his triumphant growls to himself.

Simon packed away his paperwork and shut down his computer. He pocketed his phone and grabbed his car keys. On his way out, he stopped at his personal assistant’s desk.

“Mara, I’m taking the rest of the afternoon off.”

Mara looked up from the papers she was reading through. “Everything okay, boss?” She eyed him quizzically.

He couldn’t blame her, he didn’t often leave early. Although since Hayley and Zack had come into his life, he no longer stayed late well after everyone else had left like he used to.

“Everything’s fine. Just having some trouble concentrating and my eyes are starting to hurt.”

Simon smiled. He couldn’t exactly tell her that he wanted to get home to his pregnant mate and see how the man was doing. “Figured I’d call it a day and come back tomorrow refreshed and ready for a new day.”

“See you in the morning, then.”

“Bye.”

Simon felt better just walking out of work. The fact that he would soon get to see Zack was a major factor in his cheerfulness. He decided to stop at the local bakery on the way home and pick up one of the lemon meringue pies Zack loved. Both Hayley and Simon enjoyed them as well, but watching Zack eat a piece was nothing short of erotic. Simon would have to make sure there was some left over and feed it to his mate in bed tonight once Hayley was asleep.

He could picture the way Zack would dart his tongue out to lick the fork, making sure he gathered every last morsel of cake. The quiet moan that would work its way out of Zack’s lips as he savoured the sweet and tangy pie. The sight of his throat working as he swallowed. Fuck! Simon reached down to discreetly adjust his suddenly hard and aching prick as he walked down the street toward the bakery. He couldn’t wait to get home and get his mate alone in bed.

Living under his mum and dad’s roof again after so many years had been a major adjustment, especially because he now had Zack with him. He’d never really thought about the logistics of making love to his mate. The windows of the house were opened during the night to let the cool breeze through. They used fans as well, but they didn’t make much noise. There was no way in hell he wanted his folks to hear him having sex, so they had to keep things very sedate and quiet.

Simon missed pounding his mate into the mattress. They had tried that the night after they’d moved in and found the bed squeaked outrageously. Zack had turned the most adorable shade of red and put a stop to their actions almost immediately.

Not that Simon was complaining. He loved his mate any way he could get him. With Zack’s girth increasing steadily over the last month, things had slowed down even further. The last thing Simon wanted to do was hurt his mate or their cub in any way. Zack kept telling him that he wouldn’t hurt them, but Simon preferred to err on the side of caution.

Tonight would be an exercise in restraint for him, but he didn’t care. His mate deserved a treat. He knew his mother was more than likely driving his poor mate up the wall. Simon could remember what it was like when they were growing up and one of them was injured in any way. The woman turned into the world’s biggest mother hen. Now she had one of her sons-in-law living under her roof and pregnant with another of her grandcubs. Simon shuddered to think what she was like.

 Tour Dates: February 16, 2015

Parker Williams, My Fiction Nook, Molly Lolly, Kristy’s Brain Food, Bayou Book Junkie, Cate Ashwood, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Blogger Girls, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Angel Martinez, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Fallen Angel Reviews, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, All I Want and More Books, Inked Rainbow Reads, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Bike Book Reviews,

(Publishing on February 17) Multitasking Mommas

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card and 2 copies of A Very Holland Valentine. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Our Focus is On: Rare (Roads #2) by Garrett Leigh Audiobook (contest included)

Book Name: Rare (Roads, book 2) Audiobook
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Garrett Leigh

A Garrett Leigh Guest Post!

A short post from Garrett Leight about the challenges/joys of writing a character and story that includes mental illness and making it not only convincing but relatable.

For me, writing a book that documented Ash’s mental illness was a challenge I didn’t truly understand until after I’d done it. Ash’s story isn’t my own, but many of his quirks and nuances are mine, and I didn’t realize how cathartic writing that shit down would be until long after the series was complete.

It was odd, actually, because there was obviously Pete to consider too—how he viewed Ash’s strange habits, how he felt about them, and his way of rationalizing them from an outsider’s POV—and I found after a while that having Pete reason his way around Ash was actually rather healing. When you struggle with depression and anxiety, it’s often hard to find reason in anything, but seeing it through Pete’s eyes really helped. Pete loves Ash with all his heart, and creating the bond between them, and strengthening it with every chapter, even when the world was stacked against them…yeah, I guess that was where I found my joy.

And sticking with Pete, when it came to Rare and we suddenly see him struggling too, for me, that was a real wake-up call, because Pete is such an outwardly steady character, a rock for so many others, I suppose it helped me, and readers who’ve contacted me since, see that depression truly is the curse of the strong.

Author Bio:

Rainbow Award winner Garrett Leigh is a British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Black Jazz Press. Her protagonists will always always be tortured, crippled, broken, and deeply flawed. Throw in a tale of enduring true love, some stubbly facial hair, and a bunch of tattoos, and you’ve got yourself a Garrett special.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible. That, and dreaming up new ways to torture her characters. Garrett believes in happy endings; she just likes to make her boys work for it.

Garrett also works as a freelance cover artist for various publishing houses and independent authors under the pseudonym G.D. Leigh. For cover art info, please visit blackjazzpress.com

Where to Find the Author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighbooks
Facebook Author Page
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garrett_leigh/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: G.D. Leigh

Sales Links: Amazon

Blurb(s):

Paramedic Pete Adams lived through the year from hell watching his lover, Ash, fall apart, and the precarious balance between work and home is becoming more strained. His heart is always home, with Ash, but the dark side to his job is weighing him down.

Tattoo artist Ash Fagin is recovering from a nervous breakdown triggered by revelations about his traumatic childhood. His battle with mental illness is far from over, but with Pete by his side, he’s feeling good again, so good he doesn’t notice something missing until it walks right into his living room.

Ash believes he’s had enough coincidence in his life, but when a voice from the past comes looking for him, it takes the devastating injuries of the one he loves most to convince him to let a ghost become the family he never knew he wanted.

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Romance

Excerpt:

PETE HAD been busy while I’d been gone. I stood in front of the shiny new door to his apartment and wondered for a moment if I’d come home to the right place. Then I remembered the coarse message he’d sent me a few days ago, telling me in no uncertain terms what a bitch the new door had been to fit. A separate message—perhaps an afterthought—told me he’d left a key on top of the frame.

I reached for it and turned it over in my hand. It was silver and shiny. The old one was battered brass, bruised and familiar. It felt heavy in my pocket as I slid the new key into the lock. I considered the fate of the old key now that the door it belonged to was no longer there. Pete said I pondered the strangest things.

The new door swung open with a whisper. It felt odd after two years with a door that crunched like a gearbox. The new door was like a ghost, all shimmery and silent. I wasn’t sure I liked it.

A wry grin crept over my face. Really? Four days without Pete and you’re worried about a door? I took a tentative step forward. The door closed with a quiet click, and this time, I paid it no heed.

I glanced around the apartment. It was quiet and still. No TV, stereo, or signs of life. That was no surprise. I was a few hours early. Despite hating every moment of the flight between Chicago and Philadelphia, I’d caught an earlier plane home. Pete wasn’t expecting me, but I could feel in my bones that he was home. The invisible cord between us pulled me along, and a minute later, I found him passed out in our bed. He was asleep on his stomach, something he only did when he was alone or too tired to notice. It used to make me uneasy—sometimes it still did—but not today. Today his bare back was exactly what I needed to see. I sat down by his head and brushed my fingers over his stubbly jaw. He didn’t stir, even when I leaned down and breathed in the clean smell of his skin.

Pages or Words: 240 pages

 Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

27-Jan

The Novel Approach

Velvet Panic

Amanda C. Stone

29-Jan

Rainbow Gold Reviews

Prism Book Alliance

3-Feb

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Smoocher’s Voice

My Fiction Nook

Molly Lolly

5-Feb

Hearts on Fire

Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons

10-Feb

Cate Ashwood

MM Good Book Reviews

12-Feb

Fallen Angel Reviews

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

17-Feb

Love Bytes

BFD Book Blog

19-Feb

Bayou Book Junkie

Inked Rainbow Reads

Sinfully Sexy

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: An audiobook of ‘Rare’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Our Spotlight: What’s In A Name by Pat Henshaw (Author Interview and contest)

A Closer Look at…

What’s In A Name? by Pat Henshaw
Goodreads Link

Author Pat Henshaw Bio:

Born in the Heartland of Nebraska, Pat Henshaw has made America hers by living in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. She has found joy in visiting Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and relishes trips to Rome, Italy, and Eugene, Oregon, to see family.

Pat has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Two of her fondest memories are touching time when she put her hands on the pyramids and experiencing pure whimsy when she interviewed Caroll Spinney (Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch). Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Her supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away writing fiction.

Our Interview with Pat Henshaw…

1. You’ve lived all over…do you have a place that has felt like home instantly? And what and where is it?

I love Pacific Grove CA which is a tiny community adjacent to Monterey CA on the coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It’s the winter home of the monarch butterflies, and butterfly motifs are all over town. The main reason I like it is that it’s where I can relax, be myself, and hear the characters and their stories in my head.

2. What pulls you forward to somewhere or away from other places?

I’m drawn to places with diversity and interesting people where a live-and-let-live attitude seems to be everyone’s mode of operation. I also love settings where people are creative, little art galleries or unpretentious cafes with superior food. I’m more comfortable in small spaces than larger ones. I do poorly in settings where everyone is striving to prove their worth to everyone else through bragging or ostentatious displays of wealth. I’m particularly uneasy in crowded spaces, conventions and the like.

3. Favorite coffee to get you going in the morning?

Unlike my character Jimmy, I don’t drink coffee. My morning coffee is iced tea.

4. I loved the blurb and excerpt for this story. It made me want to get my hands on it immediately. Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

LOL. You’ve got me! I have no idea. You know you’ve heard authors say things like “the character just came to me and I went with it”? Well, I hate to say it, but Jimmy and Guy just “came” to me out of the blue. I’m so happy you loved the blurb and excerpt. I hope you enjoy the story too. I had a lot of fun writing it–and yes, I know it sounds strange to say that I had fun sitting and typing for hours on end.

5. What was the muse or inspiration for these characters?

Oh, no! See the previous answer. I really do wish I could come up with something concrete here. I once interviewed Arlo Guthrie who said that songs were floating around in the air all the time and he just plucked one out when it came by. Sounded a little silly at the time, but now I think I know what he was saying. This story was just floating around–it’s a modern tweak of Rumplestiltskin without killing any children, after all–and I just happened to be around to pluck it out of the ethos. And how new-agey does that sound?

6. Why this particular setting?

I live near the Sierra Foothills and have relatives and friends who live in the area where the story is set. When Jimmy, Guy, Fredi, Max, and the Behr brothers came to me, this is where they lived. I know, go figure!

7. Do you plan to incorporate some of the places you have traveled into future stories?

Actually, I have. I self-published a vampire novel, The Vampire’s Food Chain, last year in which I incorporated Egypt, Nicaragua, and a few other places into the setting. I like to call the novel “not your grandma’s vampire novel” because I’ve interwoven the stories of ancient and modern gods and vampires. It’s not the huge leap you might think–they both live forever, right?

8. Favorite coffee shop (can you answer that without getting into trouble with baristas everywhere?)

Cafe Dantorels, with La Bou as a backup. I’ve been going to Dantorels for decades. I’ve watched the various owners put their stamp on the building and the menu, but there’s something about the space that calls to me and makes me love being there.
9. Favorite cuisine to accompany your coffee…

Oh, well, there’s nothing like a good croissant or pastry, is there? I think the French have the concept of sitting, chatting, drinking, eating, and enjoying life just right. Slow Food makes much more sense than fast food to me. Besides, how else will I be able to catch those stories floating in the air if I’m not letting myself be open to them?

10. What’s Next for Pat Henshaw?

I’ve submitted the sequel to What’s in a Name?, another novella called Redesigning Max about Jimmy’s good friend, Fredi Zimmer and the outdoor sports store owner Max who just needs a little courage to make his move. I’m currently writing The Behr Facts, the third in the novella series, about the construction company that’s mentioned in the previous books. I have an idea about a fourth book, but I’m caught up in this first.

Also, I’m writing the sequel to The Vampire’s Food Chain, called Devil’s Food in which the protagonist, a vampire named Shawn, must visit hell and make a difference there. Finding hell is the challenge at the moment. It’s spread so many places!
Thank you!

Where can you find the author?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.henshaw.10
Goodreads Author Page
Book website: http://whatsinanamenovella.blogspot.com
Website: http://patbooked.blogspot.com
E-mail: whatsinanamenovella@comcast.net
Tumblr: http://phenshaw.tumblr.com/

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyD

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press

About What’s In A Name?

Barista Jimmy Patterson thinks it’s a good idea to get rip-roaring drunk on his birthday after he’s dumped by his boyfriend. When the burly owner of Stonewall’s Bar rescues Jimmy, the night starts to look up.

Now Jimmy just wants to know the bartender’s first name since he’s worn a different name tag every time Jimmy’s seen him. “Guy” Stone gives Jimmy seven guesses, one for each night he takes Jimmy out on a date.

While Jimmy’s trying to come up with his name, he’s distracted by the destruction of his coffee shop and what looks more and more like a hate crime.
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

A Special look from Guy’s Point of View:

Falling in love in your 30s, I’m here to tell you, is the shits. Take it from me. You’re rolling along, minding your own business–in my case as the working owner of Stonewall Saloon–and then wham! You think you’re immune, especially since you see so many crap-ass guys doing stupid shit every night. Maybe it’s the bar. Who knows? I never thought good guys went to bars a lot until I met Jimmy.

Along about November a year or so ago, Jimmy Patterson and his stupid as fuck boyfriend started dropping by Stonewall three, four times a week around 8 or 9 and staying sometimes until closing, but mostly for a couple, three hours.

The boyfriend, this asshole named Alex, would parade in wearing whatever passed as the latest style and park Jimmy on a stool at the bar.

Now, see, Jimmy’s the real friendly type. Shoot, he was even nice to Gus, a regular left over from when my Grandpa was owner and bartender. Gus can’t see or hear too well now and for some reason gets on the nerves of my younger customers all the time. Mostly because you gotta yell and repeat what you say to him about a million times. And then he still doesn’t get what you said.

Jimmy never blinked an eye at Gus. Just treated him like all the other guys who sat down next to him to bullshit.

“Good boy, that Jimmy,” Gus’d tell me over and over when Jimmy and Dickhead came in.

I had to agree. During slow periods, Jimmy and I’d talk about all sorts of things. He wanted to open a coffee shop in Old Town, around where Stonewall is, and asked me questions about places along the strip. We even talked quarterlies during tax time and shit like that.

There’s a few queer-run places now the big city guys have discovered us, and Jimmy wanted to know how they got along. Yeah, sure, there’s some resistance from blowhards like Tommy Thompson and a few others, but mostly we’re a live and let live kinda place.

At Christmas we laughed about some of the stupid ass holiday decorations along Main Street. Jimmy’d even asked if I was going to decorate. My answer? Blow me. For a minute it looked like he considered it.

The more we talked, the more lost I was. Got to the point I told one of the other bartenders to come get me if I was in the back when Jimmy came in. Go figure. Never done that in my life.

In the meantime, every time they were here, Dickhead the boyfriend was making the rounds. I caught him a few times sucking cock in the back. Made me so mad I nearly hit him up one side and down the other. I didn’t though cuz I didn’t want Jimmy to stop coming in.

It bothered me though. You know, one of those moral dilemmas. Should I tell Jimmy or not? So I started asking around.

Didn’t help when I learned Jimmy’d moved into a condo with the Dickhead. What kind of friend tells a guy his boyfriend’s a scumbag? On the other hand, what kind of friend keeps the news to himself? Moral dilemma, like I said.

Okay, so we’re coming up to Jimmy’s birthday, which I know because after I had another bartender card him, I wrote the date down. I decide to give the Dickhead one more chance. See if he could man up on the big night. I knew a bunch of Jimmy’s friends were gonna throw him a party at Stonewall, you know try to get him drunk, all the regular crap. So I’d better be seeing Dickhead stand up and act right.

By that point, I’ve already been smacked around by Jimmy-love and am ready to beat down walls to make him happy on his big day. He’s never gonna see his 20s again and he’s feeling the pain. At least that’s what he’s said. I just want the guy to be happy, real happy.

What happened? Well, yeah, you gotta read Jimmy’s side of the story. I mean, don’t listen to me. I can’t tell a story about love. Shit, I can barely tell a clean joke. Just listen to Jimmy. He’s got it covered.

Excerpt:

Stonewall [Saloon] was chaos when I got there. Guy and another bartender were mixing drinks as fast as they could. I squeezed in at the end of the bar near the hatchway and sat on an abandoned stool there.

I didn’t think Guy had seen me come in, so when there was a lull in the frenetic pace and he was nearly within arm’s reach, I called out, “What’s a guy gotta do to get a drink in this place?”

Guy looked up, grinned at me, and yelled back, “Fuck the bartender.”

A slim man sitting next to me perked up, gave Guy the once-over, and yelled, “Okay!”

Guy’s startled gaze met mine, and we broke out laughing.

The man next to me sighed and slumped over his beer. “I knew it was too good to be true,” he mumbled.
I patted him on the shoulder.

“Maybe next time,” I commiserated with him.

“Right,” he answered glumly.

Contest: Enter to win Rafflecopter Prize: One of two Starbuck’s Gift Cards. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Dates/Stops:

28-Jan

Molly Lolly

Inked Rainbow Reads

4-Feb

Hearts on Fire

Andrew Q. Gordon

Amanda C. Stone

11-Feb

Multitasking Mommas

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

The Novel Approach

18-Feb

Love Bytes

3 Chicks After Dark

Bayou Book Junkie

25-Feb

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

Kristy’s Brain Food

4-Mar

Dawn’s Reading Nook

MM Good Book Reviews

Velvet Panic

Christy Loves 2 Read

11-Mar

Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

Prism Book Alliance

18-Mar

Crystal’s Many Reviewers

Rebecca Cohen Writes

On Tour with A.M Arthur’s The Truth As He Knows It (book tour and contest)

Book Name: The Truth As He Knows It
Author Name: A.M. Arthur
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Goodreads Link

Author Bio:

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland. She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop. She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder. She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

Where to find A.M. Arthur:

Contact her at am_arthur@yahoo.com with your cooking tips (or book comments). You can also find her online (http://amarthur.blogspot.com/), as well as on Twitter (http://twitter.com/am_arthur), Tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/blog/am-arthur), and Facebook (A.m. Arthur). A.M. Arthur’s work is available from Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, Dreamspinner Press, and Musa Publishing.

Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Cover Artist: Lyn Taylor

Sales Links: Samhain Amazon

Blurb:

Perspectives, Book 1

Officer Noel Carlson isn’t out to anyone in small-town Stratton, Pennsylvania, only to distant friends and family, so a relationship is out of the question. That doesn’t stop him from wanting one, though.

When a night-shift call brings him face to thonged butt with a hired stripper whose girl-party gig went terribly wrong, Noel takes pity on the guy and lets him go. But he can’t get the encounter out of his mind.

Shane has big-time debts to repay, especially to the brother who sacrificed nearly everything for him. His two jobs, in a deli and as a stripper, leave him no time for a social life. But a non-date of hot sex and takeout food with Noel? He can squeeze that in.

The bond they form is stronger than either expected or wanted. Especially since the step Shane’s about to take to put his brother—and his soul—back in the black isn’t quite legal. And he never calculated just how much his determination to make things right will cost him in the end.
Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

“I want to see you again,” Shane said.

Noel grinned, flashing those dimples. “I’d like that too. My work schedule is pretty weird, though. I’m first shift, which is eleven at night to seven in the morning, five days, starting tomorrow.”

Shane worked that one around. It gave them daytime hours, and evenings on Wednesday and Thursday. He worked at the deli tomorrow, and Saturday was off the table. Probably Sunday too, for good measure. “When do you sleep?”

“Usually when I first get home, from about eight to two or three. Sometimes longer, depending on the night.”

“So you’re usually free dinnertime until like ten?”

“Pretty much.” Noel cracked an unexpected yawn. “Sorry, my schedule is a little off after spending the day with Tristan. I try to keep similar sleep times on my days off so I don’t get too screwed up.”

Shane stood, surprised. “How long have you been awake?”

“About thirty hours.”

“Shit, why didn’t you tell me that?”

“Because I wanted to do this tonight. I’ve been thinking about you all week, and I’m glad I saw you at Mineo’s today. Really glad.”

“Me too.” Shane draped his arms around Noel’s waist. “And since this has been a fantastic night, I’m going to go before you pass out from exhaustion.”

“Do you want to get together tomorrow?”

He considered it for about two seconds. “My weekend’s pretty booked with work and stuff. Monday? We could maybe go out for real this time?”

“Sounds good. I’ll call you when I get up Monday and we can hammer out the details.”

“Okay.”

Shane collected his clothes and dressed, taking his time because Noel was watching. The opposite of a striptease, and Shane kind of loved the novelty of it. He meant his good-night kiss to be soft, quick, but Noel held him tight and devoured his mouth until Shane was breathless and half-hard. God, he could kiss Noel for hours and not get tired of it. But he saw the fatigue in Noel’s eyes, and it was time to leave.

“See you soon,” Shane said. “And thanks for dinner.”

“You’re welcome, cowboy.”

Shane strolled back to his car with a bounce in his step, positive he’d never be able to hear the word “cowboy” again without thinking of Noel Carlson.

 Pages or Words: 83,000 words, 255 pages
 Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

10-Feb

Prism Book Alliance

All I Want and More Books

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

11-Feb

Amanda C. Stone

Hearts on Fire

12-Feb

Joyfully Jay

13-Feb

My Fiction Nook

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

16-Feb

Love Bytes

17-Feb

Cathy Brockman Romances

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

18-Feb

Book Reviews and More by Kathy

BFD Book Blog

19-Feb

Carly’s Book Reviews

Bayou Book Junkie

20-Feb

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

23-Feb

Molly Lolly

24-Feb

Cate Ashwood

25-Feb

Queer Town Abbey

3 Chicks After Dark

26-Feb

Velvet Panic

Smoocher’s Voice

27-Feb

Jade Crystal

Parker Williams

2-Mar

Charley Descoteaux

MM Good Book Reviews

Inked Rainbow Reads

Wake Up Your Wild Side

As The Pages Turn

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book of ‘Truth As He Knows It’ plus an additional book from A.M. Arthur’s Backlist.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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In Our Book Spotlight: A New Man by P. D. Singer (book tour and contest)

A New Man by P. D. Singer
Release Date: February 9, 2015
Goodreads Link

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P.D. Singer Bio:

P.D. Singer lives in Colorado with her slightly bemused husband, two rowdy teenage boys, and thirty pounds of cats. She’s a big believer in research, first-hand if possible, so the reader can be quite certain Pam has skied down a mountain face-first, been stepped on by rodeo horses, acquired a potato burn or two, and will never, ever, write a novel that includes sky-diving.  When not writing, playing her fiddle, or skiing, she can be found with a book in hand.

Contact/Follow P.D. Singer at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pd.singer.9
Facebook Author Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PD_Singer
Blog: http://PDSinger.com

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press

About A New Man…

Senior year of college is for studying, partying, and having fun before getting serious about life. Instead, Chad’s days are filled with headaches and exhaustion, and his fencing skills are getting worse with practice, not better. Then there’s his nonexistent love life, full of girls he’s shunted to the friend zone. Is he asexual? Gay?  Grad student Warren Douglas could be out clubbing, but his roommate is better company, even without kisses. He’s torn up watching Chad suffer, gobbling ibuprofen and coming home early on Friday nights. If Chad weren’t straight, Warren would keep him up past midnight. They’re great as friends.

Benefits might answer Chad’s questions.  A brief encounter with lab rats reveals Chad’s illness—he needs surgery, STAT, and can’t rely on his dysfunctional parents for medical decisions. Warren’s both trustworthy and likely to get overruled—unless they’re married. “You can throw me back later,” Warren says, and he may throw himself back after his husband turns out moody and hard to get along with, no matter how much fun his new sex drive is. Surgery turns Chad into a new man, all right…  …but Warren fell in love with the old one.

Categories: Contemporary

A New Man Excerpt:

On his feet now, Chad looked a little shaky. For a silent moment he stood, though it wasn’t clear whether he was forcing his body to behave or thinking.

“Uh. You’re a scientist…” Why did Chad make that sound like a question? Unless it was part of his medicine head. “I need some data.”

Oh. Oh!

Warren didn’t flinch or pull away when Chad leaned in. Both his hands rested on Warren’s upper arms, which didn’t keep him from lurching forward so fast Warren thought he’d get hit in the face. But no, he stopped short and came in slow for the last inch. Eyes open and questioning, he met Warren’s mouth in a smooth, gentle kiss. Lips not quite parted, he brushed against Warren, searching, not demanding.

What had gotten into him? Warren kissed back, not too startled to respond in kind, adding nothing that might frighten Chad away. He wouldn’t lift his arms, he wouldn’t offer tongue, but he would meet Chad’s mouth for as long as he was offered it. He had to tip his face up slightly and fight to stay in place when he wanted nothing more than to step forward into Chad’s arms, to plaster himself against that inviting chest, and thrust his tongue into the depths of Chad’s mouth.

Chad’s eyes were blue drowning to black, his pupils dilated widely. Questions, but not fear, dwelled behind his irises, questions that Warren wanted to answer for him. Yes, you like this, yes, you want more, yes, you want it with me. Yes.

Pages or Words: 276 pages

Tour Dates: February 9, 2015

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, Bike Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Kimi-Chan, Inked Rainbow Reads, Prism Book Alliance, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Kristy’s Brain Food, Cate Ashwood, Fallen Angel Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Queer Town Abbey, MM Good Book Reviews, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Inked Rainbow Reads, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Kristy’s Brain Food, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Nic Starr, Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Nephylim, Multitasking Mommas, Elin Gregory

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: 1 copy of ‘A New Man’ plus one copy from P.D. Singer’s backlist. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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Need An Anthology to Love? Well, Love is a Mess Has the Stories for You! (contest)

Time to Focus on Anthologies!

Title: Love Is A Mess (a Supposed Crimes anthology)
Release Date: January 3, 2015

Author Names/Stories:

Viral Valentine by L. M. Perrin
When a Valentine’s Day prank goes badly, Paige’s guilt won’t let her watch the victim walk away without a proper apology.
Date Blind by Geonn Cannon
A woman discovers the worst possible blind date scenario when her date turns out to be someone who bullied her in high school.
The Politician and the Pilot by Amber Kinsey
A politician and a pilot make a steamy connection on Valentine’s Day.
Bar Tryst by Rachael Orman
After her roommate blackmailed her into going to an Anti-Valentine’s day party, Vanessa decided to make the best of it especially when the bartender shared that she was looking to have a good time too.
Quarter Life: Energy Feed by Adrian J. Smith
With strange creatures in her path, Faye is determined to get the information she wants no matter the cost.
Property of Cupid by Eva Lefoy
Will an ancient Greek god give up half his powers to love a mere human? Or will Cupid loose his golden arrow, letting Jeremy fall in love with another man?
Private Dance by A. M. Leibowitz
With Alex’s sexy boyfriend, Phin, gone for three weeks, there’s only one option: let his best friend’s kids lead him on a treasure hunt through town to find his Valentine’s gift waiting for him to unwrap.
The Last Mitzvah by Michael DuPuy
One man seeks salvation over love, death, and ice cream.

About the authors:

A. M. Leibowitz is a spouse, parent, feminist, and book-lover falling somewhere on the Geek-Nerd Spectrum. She keeps warm through the long, cold western New York winters by writing romantic plot twists and happy-for-now endings. In between noveling and editing, she blogs coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, and her family at amleibowitz.com.

Adrian J. Smith, aka AJ, loves to write women, and specifically women who are strong, independent and fall in love with other women. She claims bisexuality but is probably closer to omnisexual. She’s a go with the flow type of person. She loves writing urban fantasy and creatures and powers of all different kinds. She also loves writing women in uniform, because let’s face it, a woman in uniform has an irresistible draw. Most of her stories have a romantic element, but if you want action, drama, plot with a hint of romance, she’s the author for you. Find her at adrianjsmith.wordpress.com.

Amber Kinsey is a part-time federal employee, full-time geek, and occasional writer. She lives in a suburb of Nashville, TN with her three cats: one is the light of her life; the other two are just little stinkers.

Eva Lefoy writes and reads all kinds of romance, and is a certified Trekkie. She’s also terribly addicted to chocolate, tea, and hiking. One of these days, she’ll figure out the meaning of life, quit her job, and go travel the galaxy. Until then, she’s writing down all her dirty thoughts for the sake of future explorers. You can find her blog at writery.wordpress.com.

Geonn Cannon is the author of On the Air, Gemini, World on Fire, The Following Sea, Tilting at Windmills, Only Flame and Air, Confused by Shadows, Chasing Dragons, What Matter Wounds?, Silence Out Loud, the Riley Parra series, Railroad Spine, Gunfire Echoes, the Underdogs series, Girls Don’t Hit, and The Rise and Fall of Radiation Canary. He also wrote an official tie-in novel for Stargate SG-1 titled “Two Roads” and contributed a Stargate Atlantis story to the “Far Horizons” anthology. An archive of free stories can be found at geonncannon.com. When he’s not writing, he’s asleep.

L. M. Perrin is an English major who writes fiction to break up the monotony of analyzing novels. She lives in Leelanau County, also known as Michigan’s pinky finger, with her dog and the occasional stray cat, and in her opinion there is nothing wrong with spending a night binging on Netflix and pizza. This is her first published piece.

Michael DuPuy, while not investigating epistemological dead ends, cultivates a greater understanding of the folly of man most often by recreating as many of such folly’s as possible through no intent of his own. Michael turned to writing as a method of perhaps extending his sanity and to justify his coffee consumption. If anything this tactic has backfired.

Rachael Orman: Mother by day. Writer by night. I spend a majority of my day with my children and reading while my nights are filled with the sound of the keyboard as I work on my next work.   I have written in F/F, F/F/M, F/F/F and then of course F/M genres…. So, beware, I do not always have the most ‘traditional’ scenes. And one day I will venture into M/M, just have to find the time.   I love to try new things and learn from every piece of work I write. I’ll write just about anything once to learn from it. I’ve even ventured out of my normal erotica genre into Monster Erotica. Doubt you’ll find me writing anything not erotic as you can barely get me to even read something out of that category, but then again, you never know what I might try next.

About the Publisher:
Supposed Crimes, LLC publishes fiction and poetry primarily featuring lesbian characters and themes. The focus is on genre fiction–Westerns, Science Fiction, Horror, Action–rather than just romance. That’s how we set ourselves apart from our competitors. Our characters happen to love women and kick ass.

“Supposed crimes” refers to the idea that homosexuality is outlawed, and that our authors are being subversive by writing. As times change this becomes more tongue-in-cheek, but can still apply broadly to our culture. Christians writing lesbians and men writing lesbians are also subversive ideas in this industry, and we promote people bending the rules.

Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC
Cover Artist: C.E. Case
Categories: LGBT fiction, Romance, Gay Romance, Lesbian Romance
Pages or Words: 35,000 words, 119 pages
Tour Dates: February 9, 2015

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Rebecca Cohen Writes, MM Good Book Reviews, Fallen Angel Reviews, Molly Lolly, Kristy’s Brain Food, BFD Book Blog, Cate Ashwood, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Velvet Panic, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Carly’s Book Reviews

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Love Is A Mess’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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In Our Book Spotlight: Bare Threads by D.P. Denman (contest)

Bare Threads by DP Denman

Publisher: North Shore Press
Cover Artist: LC Chase

About Bare Threads…

Liam is not a family man. He’s learned to avoid the entanglement and its mire of expectations; expectations he’s destined to crush. Unfortunately, his usually placid boyfriend is pushing him into the arms of his new family and he’s fighting every step. When a person he never expected to see again reappears, Liam finds a reason to make a few concessions for the sake of real love and the only man he is willing to call family.

Book four of the Saving Liam Series

Sales Links: Amazon

Categories: M/M Romance, Contemporary, Series

Excerpt:

He nodded along annoyed by the reasonable advice and the situation. He didn’t like admitting it, but they were right. There was no reason to rush. He had just imagined coming home from the trip, unpacking his suitcase, falling to one knee, and having Liam in his arms laughing and crying and accepting his proposal. Meeting the family was supposed to tip the balance in his favor. As tempting as it was to blame the ill-timed conversation for Liam’s continued refusal, it wasn’t his parents’ fault.

Liam had a way of clinging. Waiting for him to change his mind was tradition in their relationship. He didn’t jump into things, not even the easy ones. Every new opportunity represented a threat. He thought the step from living together to marriage would be easy, but apparently, it took the same patience and careful persistence as everything else.

He ended the video chat seconds before Liam walked through the front door.

“I’m home.”

“In here,” he called back.

He heard the dull thump of sock-covered feet on the floor before Liam appeared sweaty and wearing a timid smile.

“Hi.”

“How was the workout?” He tried to shrug off the annoyance still thrumming across his forehead, threatening to burst into a headache.

“Good.” Liam stepped further into the room.

The tension between them rippled across his stomach. He didn’t want things to feel strained just because they couldn’t agree on how it would look when they celebrated their twentieth anniversary. They both wanted one. It was a good start.

“Come here.” He held out his hand and pulled Liam into his lap. “I’m sorry for pushing this marriage thing so hard.” He wrapped arms around him. “I want it but not enough to tear us apart trying to get it.”

“It’s my fault, too. I’m being a pain in the ass.”

He twitched a smile. “Stubborn is nothing new for you.”

“It’s not because I don’t want to be with you.”

“I know that.” He kissed Liam’s shoulder. “If I thought you planned to leave this would be a totally different conversation.” He looked up into Liam’s face, studying what he had already memorized. “I want to be with you for the rest of my life. You want to be with me for the rest of yours. That’s enough for now.”

“For now?” Liam cocked a challenging eyebrow.

“I’m not giving up on this.”

“I figured.”

“One day you’ll understand what I’m talking about and we’ll have a honeymoon so hot we’ll melt the sheets.”

Liam smiled. “If this is a ploy for hotter sex we can skip the ceremony and find some new tricks online. There must be a blog somewhere with decent ideas.”

“I’m sure there are several.”

Liam didn’t need any help being hot in bed. He had a great imagination, little inhibition, and thousands of hours of experience in porn. The only way things between them could get any hotter would be the first night he made love to his new husband, gold bands gleaming in the sunlight, and knew Liam was his.

Pages or Words: 63,000 words

Author Bio:

Award winning author DP Denman writes character-driven contemporary romance about gay men. Her stories are real and intense, but resolve in endings that make people want to read the book all over again. She is from the Pacific Northwest and bases all of her stories in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In her spare time, she is a dedicated LGBTQIA rights activist, fighting for those who have been marginalized and abused. To that end, 25% of the royalties from every book go to support LGBT charities.

Where to find the author: http://pinterest.com/dpdenman

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $15 Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter using the Rafflecopter link provided.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Tour Dates/Stops:

2-Feb

Bayou Book Junkie

Velvet Panic

Prism Book Alliance

3-Feb

Multitasking Mommas

Wake Up Your Wild Side

Inked Rainbow Reads

The Hat Party

4-Feb

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Love Bytes

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

5-Feb

MM Good Book Reviews

Molly Lolly

Rainbow Gold Reviews

6-Feb

BFD Book Blog

3 Chicks After Dark

Butterfly-O-Meter

Parker Williams

In Our Book Spotlight Today: Copping An Attitude by Morticia Knight

Copping An Attitude by Morticia Knight
Goodreads Link

Author Morticia Knight Bio:

M/M 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 also be available in 2015 through Totally Bound Publishing.

Where to find the author: Twitter: @morticiaknight

Publisher: Totally Bound
Cover Artist: Posh Gosh

Sales Links:
Totally Bound
Amazon
Amazon UK

About Copping An Attitude…

Vegas is filled with human cast-offs, yet officer Parker McLean sees something special in hustler Slade Wolfgang. Unfortunately, so does Slade’s pimp who wants to sell him overseas in the sex trade.
Hustler Slade Wolfgang has little choice over his fate. At the age of twenty, he’s had to survive any way he can since being thrown out of his home for being gay. As soon as he hit Vegas, Slade was lured into the hopeless world of prostitution where he’s become a virtual prisoner to his pimp, the ruthless Julio Estevez. His evil keeper has even threatened to sell Slade overseas as a sex slave.

It’s another typical night on the Strip when Parker comes across Slade. His heart breaks every time he sees someone so young being exploited. Something in Slade’s eyes tells Parker the young man might be in real trouble though – especially after the recent spate of sex worker killings from a rival prostitution ring.

The two men’s lives become intertwined when Slade is almost beaten to death. The danger grows, but so does the relationship between Parker and Slade. Parker helps Slade to heal from the horrific attack and their bond deepens. But the human traffickers are still out there – and they’re still looking for Slade.

Publisher Advisory: Scenes of violence and a brief scene of sexual abuse. Although part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone.
Categories: Gay, Men In Uniform, Contemporary, Suspense, Thriller

Excerpt from Copping An Attitude (mature eyes only – must be 18 years of age – click on link to keep reading.

Pages or Words: 50,539 words

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card and Signed paperback copy of Copping an Attitude. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter via the Rafflecopter link below.

Rafflecopter Code:

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 Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

Emotion in Motion

29-Jan

Christy Loves 2 Read

30-Jan

My Fiction Nook

Carly’s Book Reviews

2-Feb

Cate Ashwood

3-Feb

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

4-Feb

Love Bytes

5-Feb

Amanda C. Stone

6-Feb

Rainbow Gold Reviews

An Interview with Chris Scully On Writing and Nights Like These (contest)

Book Name: Nights Like These
Author Name: Chris Scully

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Chris Scully here for an author interview and to talk about writing and her latest book, Nights Like These:

Q One of your main characters is Miles, 40 years old. I love an older protagonist. What was the inspiration behind Miles?

Age doesn’t mean you are any less immature or insecure—as Miles clearly demonstrates. I think older characters are definitely underrepresented in the romance genre (MF/MM), which is a bit odd because as a reading/writing community a lot of us are in that age bracket. As someone born with “an old soul”, I’ve never really identified with the angst of twenty-somethings—even when I was a twenty-something! I personally find it very difficult to write credible young adults because I don’t have those ‘traditional’ YA experiences to draw on. And as someone comfortable in her forties, I have no burning desire to revisit that period of my life. I like to be able to relate to characters I read or write—and for me that probably means they will be older (so far they’ve ranged from late twenties to early fifties). In the case of this novel, I knew that my protagonist was going to be cynical and jaded, and I feel that’s something that comes with being older. There is also definitely a large part of me in Miles. So much of the novel is wrapped up with my own experiences in being a mid-career employee who’s laid off that in a sense he became my alter ego.

Q Your main characters profession is something you don’t often see, again where did you get that idea and why?

Up until recently, I worked in an office building much like the one in the novel (in fact it’s my inspiration) and the security guards were fixtures–not to mention often the butt of friendly jokes. It is such a thankless job to sit there and not be able to interact with anyone. When I started thinking about writing a mystery, I didn’t want my character to be a cop or PI or special agent. That’s the standard route. I wanted him to be an everyday guy who gets mixed up in stuff beyond his control. As a writer you have a little more freedom to play fast and loose with the rules of mystery writing. The idea of a security guard seemed perfect, especially because it also tied in with Miles being laid off and unable to find a job and his perception that the job is beneath him.

Q. Is there a mystery involved or is this straight (pardon the word) romance?

He he he. There is definitely a mystery involved, but that’s not the focus and it’s pretty light. Actually, when I began writing, it was with the intention of it being a mystery with a romantic subplot, but along the way that flip-flopped. I’d say it’s 65% romance with 35% mystery.

Q. When you read romance, what twists do you like to see?

I love a good twist, but you don’t usually see that so much in romance. Sometimes you get these “ah ha” moments where an author might subtly imply or reference something unexpected. I love that moment of realization. I remember many years ago reading an Amanda Quick historical in which a pair of secondary characters were lesbians. It was implied so subtly that when it finally hit me I went “Oh wow, that’s why…”. What I don’t like are authors who jerk the characters around just to drag out the story and keep them apart.

Q. And do you incorporate those into your writing as well?

Not always consciously, but yes I do occasionally like to imply things or add in layers. Most readers probably don’t even notice it. In Rebound, because the whole story is told from Emmett’s point of view, you think it’s Emmett’s story. But when Sky says “You’re my Christmas miracle” it was intended to add a whole other dimension and make you suddenly look at things from his perspective. Also, depending on the story, I like to withhold information and reveal it later to heighten the emotion. In Touch Me, a short erotic novella I wrote and self-published, it starts out seemingly just about a guy giving erotic massages, but then when you find out about his personal situation, it changes the dynamic entirely.

Q. What drives your story as your are writing it, the plot or the characters or the romance? Or all of the above?

It’s a combination, and the balance between the three depends on the story. Character usually plays the largest role for me–even in Nights Like These, which I consider to be plot-driven, Miles is still a very strong character. It wouldn’t be the same story without him. I think if you have great characters, the romance becomes a natural extension.

Q Do you plot out your stories or do they change and morph as you write?

Again, it’s a combination. I like to have a rough plot or plan, but I try to be flexible if things start to change and to give the characters some freedom. Nights Like These is a perfect example. It was supposed to be a mystery, but Miles’ personality took over completely. My beta-readers indicated they were confused because it seemed like two different stories. My mystery loving friend said it was “too romantic”, and my romance reader found the mystery parts boring. Rather than try to force it into something it wasn’t, I finally accepted that the romance/ comedic aspects were stronger and did some rewriting to make the mystery secondary.

Q. Favorite story or author as a child?

Tough call. As a young child, my favorite was The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch. It’s about a princess who ends up rescuing herself instead of waiting on the prince. Considering this was written in the seventies, it is incredibly subversive. I still love the message of Paperbag Princess today. If I had kids I would definitely be reading that to them. Robert Munsch is an amazing kid’s author because of the way he writes for both kids and their parents. If you haven’t read Love You Forever, you definitely should, but be prepared with tissues. I still read this as an adult and bawl. You can listen to these stories for free on his website.

Q. What’s next for you as an author?

For now I’m concentrating on finishing my latest project (Happy) and also getting another novel (Until September) to publication. That should take me through most of 2015 at my current pace. After a year of unemployment I’m back to work full-time, so writing has to go back to second place. I’d like to target one book a year. Yes, that’s low compared to my peers, but it’s what I think I can comfortably manage and work full-time.

Eventually I’d like to move more into the gay fiction area—that is, fiction where the main character happens to be gay. I have a couple of ideas for romantic thrillers I’d like to try, and I that’s probably where I’ll focus for my next new project. They will definitely still have a romance angle, because I’m a born romantic, but they just won’t be as emotional and introspective.

Author Bio:

CHRIS SCULLY lives in Toronto, Canada where she grew up spinning romantic stories in her head. When the tedium of a corporate day job grew too much, she took a chance and found her creative escape in writing. Always searching for something different, she has discovered a home in M/M romance and strives to give her characters the happy endings they deserve.

Author Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/chris.scully.author

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Bree Archer

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback Amazon All Romance

Nights Like These Blurb:

Starting over sucks. At forty, Miles Koprowski thought he had life all figured out. He had a nice car, a hot young lover, and a cushy job… and then he didn’t. Call it fate, or karma, or a downturn in the market, but this opinionated cynic is now forced to play rent-a-cop in a dying office building in the burbs just to make ends meet. Throw in an unhinged ex, a coworker who hates him, and a hot new boss, and suddenly everything is uncertain.

Miles doesn’t plan on liking the night shift or becoming embroiled in a mystery that reawakens old passions and puts him in danger. And he certainly doesn’t plan on falling for the overbearing head of security, Colton Decker, former soldier and doting dad. But nights like these can change a man, make him start to believe there’s more to life than a high paying job and a warm body in his bed. With a thief on the loose and his new job in jeopardy, Miles will have to decide what’s truly important. He might discover things he never knew he wanted… as long as he makes it through the night.
Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Mystery

Nights Like These Excerpt:

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going, dumb—” I managed to sputter before my mouth stopped working entirely and dropped open. The ability to speak, to think, deserted me at the first sight of the hunky stranger standing in front of me, his face contorted with apology as he tried to mop up my sodden jacket with a handful of napkins. He was a few inches taller than me—closer to six feet—and on the stocky side. His broad shoulders filled out a nicely tailored suit, and he projected an air of confidence that I’d never be able to pull off in a million years.

He was clean-shaven too, with a dark buzz cut that made me long to run a hand over his head simply to feel the texture. And gorgeous. Did I happen to mention that?

In short, he was the kind of guy you’d want to be stranded with on a deserted island; the kind you could count on to save you. If you were so inclined. Me? I didn’t need saving.

A pair of friendly, light-colored eyes now stared back at me, bemused. Odd that his lips were moving, but no sound was coming out.

“What?” I asked, blinking back to attention. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had literally made me speechless. Me, Miles Koprowski, who never met a silence he didn’t want to fill.

Hell, I couldn’t recall the last time I’d been on the receiving end of a full-body pat-down either. At least not so quickly. His hands were still drifting over my chest, wiping up the last drips of coffee, and the simple touch was doing alarming things to my heart rate.

“Are you okay?” he demanded. “Did you get burned?” Before I could react, he seized my wrist and held my hand up for inspection. Strong, lightly calloused fingers, I added to my mental list. Working hands. Dumbly, I looked down. The skin on the back of my right hand was red and stung like a son of a bitch, but it wasn’t blistering. I did flinch slightly when he skimmed his thumb over the sensitive area, but not from pain, more from the touch itself. My entire body lit up, as though I’d stuck a finger in an electrical socket. “It doesn’t look too bad. I think you’ll live. Put some aloe on it when you get home.”

“Doctor?” I croaked, because really, that would be too perfect.

“Nope. Just seen a lot of injuries.” His lips twitched with barely contained amusement. “Sorry to disappoint you.” Sense of humor, check.

Words: 69,000

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

26-Jan

Rainbow Gold Reviews

Hearts on Fire

27-Jan

Molly Lolly

Prism Book Alliance

28-Jan

Bayou Book Junkie

29-Jan

EE Montgomery

Inked Rainbow Reads

30-Jan

Love Bytes

2-Feb

Amanda C. Stone

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

3-Feb

Cate Ashwood

4-Feb

Decadent Delights

5-Feb

EE Montgomery

6-Feb

My Fiction Nook

MM Good Book Reviews

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy upon release. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Into the Danger Zone with Jackie Nacht’s Strike of the Diamondback! (contest)

Strike of the Diamondback (#4 Venomous Mate) by Jackie Nacht
Release Date: February 1, 2015

Author Bio:

Short, sexy and sweet— where a little love goes a long way.

That’s the best way to describe Jackie Nacht’s stories. She was introduced to M/M Romance through her sister, Stephani, and read it for years. Then, she thought it was time to put her own stories on paper. Jackie began writing short and sweet stories that ended with a happily ever after.

Thinking back to her own book addiction, where there were many nights Jackie stayed up way too late so she could read just one more chapter— yeah, right— Jackie decided to write short romances for young adults as well as adults. Hopefully, they will give high school and college students, or working men and women something they can read during their lunch hour, in between classes or just when they want to briefly get away from the daily stresses of everyday life.

Where to find the author:

You can find Jackie at:
Website: http://www.jackienacht.com
Blog: http://www.jackienacht.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.nacht?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackieNacht

Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters

Sales Links: eXtasy Books

Blurb:

Two years ago, TL came across his fire ant mate, Rio. Duty kept them apart, and they were only able to love each other from afar.

When Striker escapes the tortures of the anti-venom pack, running into the wild, he didn’t expect to encounter his mate. However, he is a shell of his former self, broken from the abuse done to him.

Rio saved TL once, and when his TL comes to ask for help, Rio finds himself shocked that the venom he’s always loved is holding their mate, a mate they’ll have to heal together.

Authors Note: The first half of this book overlaps in timeline to Pursued by the Wandering Spider. For better reading enjoyment, it is best the series be read in order. Thank you.
Categories: Alternate universe, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly (MMM), New Adult, Post-Apocalypse, Romance, Science Fiction, Paranormal

Excerpt:

Chapter One
Two years ago
TL was in a fucking load of trouble. This nasty bitch of a viper was giving him one hell of a fight. He swung his arm and landed a punch to her horned nose. She hissed and came back at him with a wicked-looking blade. The viper was completely bald, her entire body covered in snakeskin. She was lean and sleek, but TL knew firsthand, she was very fucking lethal. He jumped back as she swung, and he went for his hunting knife.

The snake had already gotten a piece of one of his wings, making it completely impossible for him to fly his way out of this situation.

The viper female She was strong, and he was in her territory. Why the hell hadn’t he waited for Boone? TL sliced the knife through the air, causing a deep gash to her chest but not enough to bring her down. She charged him, crazed, fangs leaking the venom TL wanted nothing to do with. He kicked out and missed. She tackled him to the ground, sinking her blade deep in his side.

“Ahhh!” TL screamed out in utter agony. The white-hot pain caused him to fall back, completely defenseless as his enemy straddled him.

With the last of his strength, he pushed up, slicing the viper under the arm. She screamed, hissed, wriggling around, more snake than human, much like the venom she presented right on top of him. TL attempted to get out from underneath, still bleeding like crazy. He managed to break free, and try to gain as much distance as he could while unable to get off his damn hands and knees.

She came back, maddened and enraged, and TL held up his arms, waiting for his end. She slithered toward him at a speed only venom of superior strength could match.

A boot shot out in front of him, connecting with her face, just a mere feet from his own body. He glanced up to see a man standing above him with a ball mace in his hand and enough other weapons on his body for a small army. The muscular man pulled a machete and went after the female. TL’s head fell back. He didn’t even have enough strength in him to see who won. Closing his eyes, he let the darkness take him.

Pages or Words: 17,250

Tour Dates: February 1, 2015

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Decadent Delights, Amanda C. Stone, Molly Lolly, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Tara Lain, Love Bytes, Andrew Q. Gordon, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, The Blogger Girls, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Queer Town Abbey, MM Good Book Reviews, Hearts on Fire, The Hat Party, Velvet Panic, Carly’s Book Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, Fallen Angel Reviews, My Fiction Nook

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