Contemporary Spotlight: Becca Burton ‘Something Like A Love Song’ (excerpt and giveaway)

Something Like a Love Song by Becca Burton
Release Date: November 19, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Becca Burton, author of Something Like a Love Song. Hi Becca, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Thank you for having me. Something Like a Love Song is my first novel, a story about two long time boyfriends who find themselves facing a life changing tragedy and have to find the courage and love for each other to fight through.

While this is my first novel, I have posted many stories online, and have been writing ever since I learned how. I currently work as a nurse in a Neonatal ICU, and medicine has been a big interest in my life, and always seems to find a way into my writing. I am passionate about diverse, LGBTQ fiction, and am very excited to contribute to this genre.

What genre is your book and what drew you to this genre?

Something Like a Love Song is a LGBTQA fiction story. As a member of the community, I believe there are so many stories still to be told in this genre. LGBTQA fiction is just as rich as any other genre, and I believe it has so much to offer, and I’m so excited to be a part of it.

How many days a week do you write?

Working as a nurse, I can be pretty busy and tired on the days that I work, but I try and write when I’m not working. I make a goal to write at least a few days a week, and often try to make myself go to a coffee shop or a library where I can focus on my writing, but I am trying to be more diligent and go more often!

On average, how long does it take to write a book?

Something Like a Love Song is the only book I’ve officially finished, and it took me a few months to write, not factoring in editing time. I think with practice and learning how to better outline, I could probably decrease the time it takes me.

Do you have a trailer for your book? If yes, give us the link. If not, do you think you’d like to have one done at some point?

I don’t have one, but it would absolutely love and feel so honored if I had one at some point. Even if it wasn’t for this one, but a future novel, that would incredible. I’ve seen some amazing trailers for books, and I think it’s such an interesting medium to engage readers, I would love to try it sometime!

If I could be a character in a book, I would be _______?

Oh, this is a tough one. Well, I think it’s almost a given that I am Cather from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, but that one is too easy. I think I would love to be more like Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, because she’s such a stunning, intelligent girl, and such and amazing role model for young girls. If I could be even close to the caliber of awesome that Hermione is, I would be very happy!

Blurb

One tragic night left Landon and Dylan’s dreams of happily ever after in apparent ruin. Forced to overcome physical and emotional trauma, the young lovers turn to a network of family and friends as they attempt to rebuild their lives. But can their one constant—their love—survive the changes both undergo on the road to recovery?

Pages or Words: 308 pages
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

Landon’s bed is in the center of the room, and Dylan’s heart begins to pound in his chest as he takes a step forward, hesitates. Landon looks so small, tucked into the middle of the bed, and everything about the scene is unnatural and wrong. His head is wrapped with thick bandages, for which Dylan is grateful—he isn’t sure he could handle that. Just the thought of what’s happening to Landon, to his fiancé, is enough to make his throat constrict, his chest tighten.

A ventilator tube parts Landon’s lips, and his chest rises and falls in equal, rhythmic whirrs. IVs line his arms; the wires snake from under his hospital gown. His freckles stand out starkly against the unnatural pale hue of his skin, except where the deep purple of a bruise creeps from under the bandages and swells down to his left cheekbone. It seems impossible that only hours ago they were laughing in the park, holding hands and eating ice cream from the small corner stand; it’s like some distant memory, a fading dream. But the ache deep in Dylan’s chest, the way his stomach is knotting itself, the too-clean smell of the hospital burning his nose, Landon’s face, battered and bruised—Dylan can’t look away—all this is too real to be a dream, no matter how badly Dylan wants to just wake up, wants all this to go away and everything to be okay.

“You can touch him, if you want,” Brittany says, her voice soft. “We need to make sure to reduce extra stimulation, to allow his brain time to recover, but it’s okay to hold his hand.”

Dylan looks up at her. Her smile is kind and understanding. Then he turns back to Landon and takes a small step forward. Landon’s hand is right there, resting above the covers, and Dylan doesn’t know why he’s so nervous; he’s held Landon’s hand more times than he could begin to count. But, surrounded by machines and tubes, Landon has never looked so utterly fragile, as if he could shatter at the lightest touch.

“It’s okay,” Brittany says from behind him, and Dylan squeezes his eyes shut, tears pricking behind his eyelids. “You won’t hurt him.”

Landon’s skin is cold; his hand is unnaturally still. Even in sleep Landon’s hand would always find Dylan’s, their fingers would curl together like a reflex.

Not now.

“I’m so sorry,” Dylan whispers, holding on a little tighter. “I’m so…”

His voice catches, the words bottling up in his throat, unable to escape. Landon’s chest rises, falls, in, out.

In, out.

“You’re so hurt, and it’s my fault,” Dylan manages, his voice barely audible above the machines keeping Landon alive. “It’s all my fault and I’m…” He exhales slowly. “I’m so sorry.”

He swipes his thumb across Landon’s knuckles, over the dips and grooves, and vaguely notes that Brittany has left them alone. He sinks down into the small chair beside the bed, not letting go of Landon’s hand.

“You need to fight, okay? I need you here, with me, and I can’t…” There’s nothing left inside him except an empty, hollow feeling and the knowledge that Landon can’t hear him. Landon’s engagement ring is in a dish on a table beside the bed, along with his watch, and Dylan fishes them out and tucks them into his pocket.

Buy the book:

IP Web Store: store.interludepress.com

Amazon | Smashwords | Apple iBook Store

Meet the author:

Becca Burton penned her first Nancy Drew fan fiction at the age of nine and has been an avid writer ever since. Currently working as a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse, Becca is a recent Oregon transplant from the Midwest. Becca has a weakness for coffee, the smell of old books, rainy days and her cat, Luna. Something Like a Love Song is her first novel.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: facebook.com/missbeccaburton;
Twitter: @missbeccaburton

Tour Dates & Stops:

19-Nov: Lee Brazil, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Velvet Panic, It’s Raining Men, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Hearts on Fire

20-Nov: Three Books Over The Rainbow, Mikky’s World of Books, Happily Ever Chapter

23-Nov: Jessie G. Books, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Michael Mandrake, Boys on the Brink Reviews

24-Nov: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Divine Magazine

25-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews

26-Nov: Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog

27-Nov: Alpha Book Club, The Blogger Girls, Elaine White

30-Nov: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Dawn’s Reading Nook, QUEERcentric Books, Love Bytes

1-Dec: My Fiction Nook, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

2-Dec: Gay Media Reviews, Just Love Romance, Inked Rainbow Reads, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize: $25.00 Interlude Press Gift Card. First Prize: 5 e-copies of ‘Something Like a Love Song’. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Good luck and happy reading.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

A Trio of Mysteries from Adrian J. Smith: The Spirit of Grace Series (excerpts and giveaway)

Book Names: For By Grace, Fallen From Grace, Grace Through Redemption
Series: Spirit of Grace (Books: One, Two, and Three)
Author Name: Adrian J. Smith

Release Dates: 1. For by Grace (June 1, 2014), Fallen from Grace
(June 1, 2015), Grace through Redemption (Dec 1, 2015)
Series should be read in order

Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC
Cover Artist: Heidi DeCausemaker

Hi, A.J., thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, and your background.

I’m a writer who lives in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been published for about three years now and still absolutely love it. I worked for years in security and alongside with the local sheriff’s department, which helped inspire this book series. I wanted people to know what real cops dealt with, not what is shown in television shows and movies.

I have a great many number of hobbies, writing is one of them. When I’m not working, I’m usually found writing or editing. I also love to crochet. I make a lot of scarves to send to Handmade Especially for You in Southern California, which distributes the scarves to women of domestic violence in 60 shelters throughout the area. I also love to play with photography. I don’t get out as often as I’d like to, but I’m very interested in landscape photography and lightning shoots. Writing, however, is my primary hobby, though my other hobbies come out in my characters, I’m sure.

Blurb(s)

For by Grace

Being a Sheriff’s Deputy is not all about saving lives and arresting criminals, and each day Grace wonders if she’ll make it home.

While kids at the schools Deputy Grace Halling visits see her as the knight in blue-cotton armor, people involved in the cases she is dispatched to have a different opinion. She has every confidence in her ability to do her job and arrest criminals. She easily takes down a knife-wielding woman and a drunken combatant teenager without hesitation. Everyone—victim, suspect, or witness—has a story to tell or to lie about, and Grace is never perturbed by their tales.

That all changes when she looks down the barrel of a gun. She loses confidence in her ability as a deputy, she loses trust in herself and fellow officers, and she struggles to stay afloat as shift after shift passes. Grace cannot find her rhythm of being a deputy again. And when the Police Chaplain unexpectedly barges into her life, her personal and professional lives are flipped upside down. Grace struggles to find her even ground, worrying that the next time she stares a murderer in the face will be the last.

Fallen from Grace

Parables and riddles can’t undo the confusion Deputy Grace Halling experiences after her close call with death. Each morning she wakes up, puts on a uniform that feels far more like a target, and goes out to enforce the laws and protect the innocent. While her comrades in blue are murdered one by one with each passing month, Grace pushes for a call to action from her Captain. Her worst fear has become a reality.

Grace doesn’t know if she’s next.

Grace through Redemption

Learning to trust herself again wasn’t easy. Deputy Grace Halling is back patrolling, and after a few months of quiet, murders of her comrades in blue begin again. Scared and determined, Grace follows every lead she can until she finds herself face to face with the barrel of a gun, only this time her finger is on the trigger.

Pages:

For by Grace 257
Fallen from Grace 294
Grace through Redemption 287

Categories: F/F Police Procedural/mystery

Excerpt

(From Grace Through Redemption)

Opening her eyes, she was thoroughly disappointed. The guy, with his dark, curly hair and olive complexion was probably dream of a looker for any straight woman or gay man. He had his dick hanging out of his pants and his fist firmly wrapped around it. Grace held her breath high in her lungs and knocked on his window.

When it rolled down, she glared. “Sir—”

“Yes?” he cut her off.

She wasn’t even sure what to say. She balked and swallowed, trying to start over. “Sir, what’s going on?”

He at least had the grace to blush. His mouth opened then closed twice before he shook his head, his hand still wrapped firmly around his dick.

“Sir, I pulled you over because you were driving erratically. Over the speed limit, then under it, then over again, and you couldn’t stay in a lane.”

“I understand.”

Grace shook her head. That wasn’t the excuse for poor driving she normally got. Normally there were excuses thrown at her, the number one being, “I had to pee, Officer!” She blanched and put her hands at her sides.

“I need to know why.”

“I—I was having some issues.”

“What kind of issues?”

“Well, I…” he trailed off and looked down at his dick.

Grace was impressed with the fact he still hadn’t stuffed it back into his pants. She tried to look anywhere except down at his lap, but her gaze kept being drawn in that direction. Of all officers to get that call, why couldn’t it have been a man? She sighed and looked at his face again. He hadn’t looked at her since he’d first rolled down the window.

“Sir.”

“I was masturbating, okay?” He sounded exasperated and completely embarrassed. His cheeks flashed redder than they had been before, and Grace snickered. He did need to blush. At least that meant he had some emotions going on under his mask of “what the hell is going on.”

She shifted onto her left foot and more snow melted down the side of her boot. “Sir, you can cover yourself up.”

“Oh good.” He slid his dick into his slacks and zipped them closed.

Grace shuddered. What guy would need permission to cover up when pulled over by a cop? She shook her head, not wanting to answer her own question. She bit her lip, trying to figure out where to go with the situation next. In all of her nine years as a beat cop she’d seen some extraordinary and embarrassing things—this one had to top it all. She licked her lips.

“You were driving erratically,” she repeated.

“I couldn’t—I couldn’t get off, and it was getting hard to focus.”

“Sir—why were you jerking off while driving a motor vehicle anyway?”

His mouth opened, but Grace put her hand out to stop him.

“Wait. Don’t answer that. I don’t want the answer. Give me your license and registration please.”

Buy the book:

For by Grace

Amazon US | Smashwords | Kobo
Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Amazon CA

Fallen from Grace

Amazon US |Amazon UK | Amazon CA Barnes & Noble
Kobo |Publisher

Grace through Redemption (pre-order only until 12/1)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Publisher

Meet the Author:

Adrian J. Smith, or “AJ” as she is often called, is a part time writer with an epic imagination, sharp wit, and kind heart that gets her into a bit of trouble when it comes to taking in all the neighborhood stray cats. Being obsessed with science fiction, Smith often goes off on tangents about the space-time continuum. She is also a part time lunatic with a secretive past. It’s been rumored that she was once a spy for the government, but anyone who has gotten close enough to know the truth has never lived to tell the tale. When traveling around the world on various classified tasks, Smith requires the following be provided: buffalo jerky, mimosas, and eighty six pennies. This is all we know about the reclusive woman.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/adrian.j.smith066
Facebook: www.facebook.com/adrianjsmithbooks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/supposedcrimes
Twitter: @AdrianAJSmith

Goodreads Links:

For by Grace: http://bit.ly/1iI9D3w
Fallen from Grace: http://bit.ly/1GQ5pxo
Grace through Redemption: http://bit.ly/1S3U9TB

Tour Dates & Stops:

17-Nov: Jessie G. Books

24-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

1-Dec: Unquietly Me, Bayou Book Junkie

8-Dec: Velvet Panic, Happily Ever Chapter

15-Dec: QUEERcentric Books, Divine Magazine

22-Dec: Love Bytes, Havan Fellows

29-Dec: Inked Rainbow Reads, Cathy Brockman Romances

5-Jan: Prism Book Alliance

12-Jan: Wake Up Your Wild Side, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

19-Jan: BFD Book Blog

26-Jan: MM Good Book Reviews

2-Feb: Parker Williams

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: 2 Signed copies of For by Grace and Grace Through Redemption. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Coffee Sip and Book Break with Jessie G. ‘Strength in Numbers’ (mini interview, excerpt and giveaway)

Safety In Numbers ( Sizzling Miami #5) by Jessie G.
Release Date: October 31, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Jessie G. Books
Cover Artist: Andrew Reyna

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Jessie G author of Safety in Numbers, book five in the Sizzling Miami series. Hi Jessie, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Someone asks you for advice about writing. What do you tell them?

I try not to give advice because writing is a very individual and solitary pursuit. That said, there is a few things I’ve learned along the way that I can share. First and foremost, writing classes are good for general purposes but if you try to write to some formula or strict rules, the story won’t flow. What you absolutely need to know is who, where and why—after that, let the first draft write itself. Let it go off on tangents, let it birth new characters you never intended, and stop trying to wrangle it into some stiff, bullet pointed list of events.

Once you have a first draft, read it and then reread it. In your head, aloud, print it out and mark it up, work and tweak it until you’ve refined it. It may be close to the plotted outline you worked up, if you’re that type of writer, but odds are you’ll find surprises—good surprises—that were lurking in that creative brain of yours that you hadn’t planned for. After you have a solid second draft, read it and then reread it. Print it out and mark it up. Rinse and repeat until you fall in love, and only then do you have a piece that’s ready for someone else’s eyes.

For me, that’s my editor. She gets my first final draft and only after we’ve gone through a full round of edits do I give my WIP to my beta readers. Then I walk away from it until I have the second round of edits back along with all the beta feedback. Once I’ve applied what I agree with, I consider the book done. Sure, I could go around and around and around, and if there was something major my editor had issues with, we’d work that out accordingly. But usually by this point, I’ve reworked my story about ten times. Several on my own, two or three with the editor and betas, and it runs the risk of becoming overworked.

In that window that I’ve walked away, I think about the next book on my timeline. It helps me avoid overworking by focusing my creative mind on the next characters.

Still, like I said before, writing is a very individual and solitary pursuit. You have to find your process. The only thing I’m a hundred percent sure of is that trying to stick to everything I learned in all those creative writing classes stunted my creativity. Now I let it flow, I tweak, and I have an editor and betas who keep me from straying too far outside the lines.

Thank you so much for hosting Safety in Numbers today. Good luck to all who enter the rafflecopter and if anyone has any questions, I’ll be stopping by to answer. – Jessie

Blurb

“Bros stick together no matter what.”

When Chris and Liam made that promise, they had no idea how important it would become or how it would be tested in the most brutal way. Nine years later, their bond cemented in blood, that relationship is all they have to hold on to.

“No matter what happens, this friendship will be the one constant we can count on.”

When Billy and Owen made that promise, they knew exactly how dangerous the world could be. They survived prison by protecting each other and they survived freedom by holding that promise sacred. Now they want more than just to survive and they want it from the brothers whose bond is as strong as their own.

“We are stronger together than we’ll ever be apart.”

When Owen reaches his breaking point, Chris jumps at the chance to make things right for all of them. With the future in their grasp, will they realize their strength is in their numbers and finally become the family they crave?

Author’s Note: This is NOT a foursome, but the story of two couples that needed to be told together.

Excerpt

That silence hid a lot from their friends, but Liam knew Chris was plagued with memories far worse than his. That’s why they decided not to celebrate alone this year. Billy and Owen were expected any minute and it was the first time they invited anyone to join them. The anniversary was bittersweet for them and they chose to celebrate it because becoming brothers meant that much to them. “Do you think they’ll find it stupid?”

Chris just shrugged as if it was no skin off his back what they thought and Liam knew that was just bravado. Fact was, they both very much cared what the two men thought. “Liar.”

His brother sighed and dropped his head back. As if shit wasn’t fucked up enough, they fell for two bastards just as fucked up as they were. “I know you’re worried about Owen. The business with Colin is growing out of their control and I’m not sure why he thinks it’s a good thing. Is he trying to prove something? And the middle of the night phone calls from the FTR? He’s looking more and more fragile every day.”

Liam knew he wasn’t stating anything new. What he didn’t know was what Chris intended to do about it. Lately, when it came to Owen, Chris conveyed zero intent and seemed to be waiting for Owen to read him as effortlessly as Liam did. Their brother bond had been forged through blood and he was afraid Chris’s expectations of Owen were unreasonable. “Do you see his face every time he thinks he’s failed to understand you? The weight of it is crushing.”

Instead of regret, all Liam saw was anger in Chris. It wasn’t a common emotion for Chris and Liam could name every time he saw it. The fact that Chris knew what he was capable of if provoked had made him extremely conscious of that emotion and he often went to great lengths to contain it.

Owen was the very definition of insecure. Just the type to inspire Chris’s protective instincts, which Liam knew for a fact Owen did. Hell, he inspired Liam’s protective instincts. Owen was stubborn though and he often distanced himself, keeping things bottled up until they manifested elsewhere. Like in panic attacks that felt like heart attacks, which he also tried to hide. Liam nearly lost it when they found out that Billy was keeping Owen’s secret.

Chris nodded slowly, as if he completely followed Liam’s train of thought and waited for him to connect the dots. And just like that, Liam understood. “You’re pissed because he doesn’t come to you when the panic sets in. That he hides it from you and they hide it from us.”

It made total sense, but he had to wonder if they were expecting too much. After all, they couldn’t call what was going on with either man a relationship. No, they were four fucked up bastards trying to come together in some romanticwhat? Not a foursome, eww…he loved Chris, but yeah, that just wasn’t happening. And Owen wasn’t his type any more than Billy was Chris’s type. But—always with the fucking buts, right?—what was happening was very definitely happening to the four of them, and Liam now had to wonder if that was the problem, because trying to come together was definitely not the same as being together.

Chris shook his head and shifted in his seat. No, he was right. It wasn’t just their brother bond that made it impossible to move forward as two separate couples. Billy and Owen had formed their own unique friendship in prison and were no more likely to move forward without the other one either. “Just once, couldn’t we have done something the easy way?”

The fire door banged open and Liam turned to see Billy and Owen, arms full of brightly wrapped packages, struggling to pull a huge cluster of balloons through the door. It was a shocking contrast to their dark thoughts and so uncharacteristically sweet of both men. Billy caught their surprised stare and yelled, “Is this where the party’s at?”

“It is now.” It might seem silly, but it was exactly what they needed and exactly who they needed it from. Maybe they hadn’t been expecting too much at all. Liam rose to give them a hand and glanced down to see the look of longing in Chris’s eyes and thought maybe it was time they all expected more.

Pages or Words: 76,000 words
Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Buy the book:

Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Meet the Author

Like many readers, the dream of being a writer has been with me a long time. After three decades of trying, I’d begun to doubt. Thanks to social media, I followed my favorite authors hoping to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. Two repetitive themes emerged: to be a great writer you must read a lot and your butt must be in the chair every day like it’s a job. The more you write, the easier it will be to write and the better you will be at writing. I took that advice to heart and write every day. With six published books to date, three series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it’s been amazing to have made this dream my reality.

I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics and happily ever after. I’m a lover of strong secondary characters and series filled with families, biological or chosen. All are themes you’ll find throughout my books.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessiegbook
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JessieGBooks
Facebook Author Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jessiegbooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessieGBooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jessiegbooks/
TSU: http://www.tsu.co/jessiegbooks
Ello: https://ello.co/jessiegbooks
G+: https://plus.google.com/+Jessiegbooksmm/posts
Tumblr (NSFW): http://jessiegbooks.tumblr.com/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bhuja1

Tour Dates & Stops:

9-Nov: KathyMac Reviews, Nephy Hart, Foxylutely Book Reviews

10-Nov: Unquietly Me, Prism Book Alliance, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

11-Nov: Bayou Book Junkie, Books A to Z

12-Nov: The Novel Approach

13-Nov: V’s Reads

16-Nov: 3 Chicks After Dark, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

17-Nov: Parker Williams, Jill P Rand, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy

18-Nov: Joyfully Jay

19-Nov: Multitasking Mommas, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

20-Nov: Carly’s Book Reviews

23-Nov: Loving Without Limits, Molly Lolly

24-Nov: Love Bytes, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

25-Nov: Amanda C. Stone, BFD Book Blog

26-Nov: MM Good Book Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon

27-Nov: Gay Media Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

30-Nov: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads

1-Dec: Cathy Brockman Romances, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

2-Dec: Velvet Panic, MM Good Book Reviews

3-Dec: Sassygirl Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

4-Dec: My Fiction Nook

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: 2-$25 ebook GC (Amazon, B&N, ARE, or KOBO) winner’s choice, as well as 2 signed paperbacks of Safety in Numbers. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

A Delicious & Special Look at Havan Fellows & Lee Brazil’s ‘Heart on the Run’ (guest post, excerpt and giveaway)

Heart on the Run ( Hearts of Parkerburg #2) by Lee Brazil & Havan Fellows
Release Date: November 16, 2015
Goodreads Link

Publisher: Appleton Publishing Avenue
Cover Artist: Author.Services

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words was expecting Havan Fellows and Lee Brazil today but there seems to be a mixup! Look who arrived along with them, its Sprocket and Chaz from Heart on the Run for a very special and delicious post! Good morning you two and welcome to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

Sprocket: Hey there…come on in, don’t be shy, god knows I’m not. *Sprocket smiles and ushers everyone in* For those that might not know me (which is pretty much everyone), my name is Sprocket Moretti. I’m a spunky twenty-three year old that attends college and works at Craft Time—a craft and fabric store in the heart of Parkerburg, right next to the finest dining establishment in the state, Alimentaire. That’s where I met Chaz *Sprocket sighs as he stares at the hot ginger in the corner of the kitchen bent over the counter with a bowl and whisk in his hands* one extremely talented sous chef, with a great ass.

Chaz: *glances over shoulder and blushes* Aw… C’mon Sprocket! How can I cook with you saying things like that?

Sprocket: Like what?

Chaz: Like things that make me want to run over there and jump you to show you how much I appreciate you.

Sprocket: Don’t let me stop you…

Chaz and I are here today because, well Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words rocks—not just because the name is awesome, either. And when we found out that our book tour for Heart on the Run would start off here…well hell, we had to do something special… There is nothing more special than Chaz and his terrific holiday recipes.

Chaz: They can’t have my recipes. Recipes are like gold in the restaurant business, Sprocket.

Sprocket: Oh come on, honey…just something small to nibble on…maybe a holiday themed something that would melt in my mouth?

Chaz: *gulps and blows hair out of his eyes* For real? I have something that would melt in your mouth…but I’m not giving them the recipe.

Sprocket: *wraps his arms around Chaz* That’s a recipe I won’t share with anyone.

Lee: Havan… I think it’s time to pull the curtain before we surpass ST&RW’s rating. Maybe we could give them our favorite Christmas cookie recipes and call it good?

Havan: *tears eyes away from PG-rated petting working it’s way to R rated fondling* oh…um…sure, you can share cookie recipes…can I be on the other side of the curtain, though?

Lee: No! You can’t be behind the curtain. Give the nice people that chocolate and pumpkin recipe thing you have. Here’s one of my holiday favorites from Lick the bowl Good.

Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bow and mix well.

Spray a miniature muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.(The spray with flour in it works best!) Fill each indention 3/4 of the way full.

Bake in preheated oven for approx 18 minutes.

Havan: Fine…I’ll stay here and bake with you…wanna make this a game of strip baking? *waggles*

Lee: *facepalm*

Havan: hehe, only reason you don’t wanna play is because you’ve got more ingredients than me…

Okay, time for my pumpkin muffins. This is a recipe that I’ve been making for many years now, and it’s actually flown all over the internet also–though I started making them before they became so famous, really. It’s true, because I suck at cooking/baking and these are only 2 ingredients—not even I can screw them up…*whispers* even though I have screwed them up…don’t ask.

Pumpkin muffins (Sprocket loves these)

1 box of cake mix (faves are spice cake & devil’s food cake)

1 can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

That’s it…mix those two together, plop it in the muffin tins, bake at um…well…I just keep an eye on them and a box of toothpicks near the oven. Did I mention I’m not a real baker?

Mix-ins: pecans, chocolate chips (especially if you use the spice cake mix), or cinnamon chips, they all are yummy 🙂

Just remember, the most important thing is to not burn down the house while baking…or set off any of the smoke alarms. 🙂

Thank you Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words for having us today.

Blurb

Charles Darwin Millsworth, Chaz to one and all since infancy, has no wish to live up to the grandeur of his name. Fortunately, his Southern belle mama isn’t at all inclined to push her son into a career that won’t make him happy. She thinks he needs to loosen up and enjoy life. After all, that’s the whole point of being independently wealthy, isn’t it?

Chaz can see her point, but his father died in his forties as did his father before him. As far as Chaz is concerned, he has limited time on this earth to make his dreams come true. And he refuses to leave anyone weeping over a wasted life.

Sprocket Moretti is a simple guy. He loves his job, enjoys college, lives in his beloved childhood home—why worry about the little things when the big stuff looks so good. Unfortunately one of the little things he tries not to stress over is a broken friendship with a very hot and bewildering sous chef. They were pals, hung out and had fun. But one night they stepped over that invisible line, and the next morning Chaz kicked Sprocket out of his bed and his life.

Now, no matter how much Sprocket tries to charm Chaz, the guy has no desire to return to their pre-sex playful bantering ways. And if Sprocket stays true to his motto, this little thing—Chaz—should be written off and never worried about again.

If Sprocket had known one night of reality altering orgasms would endanger their easygoing friendship… How do you finish that sentence when all your mind wants is its friend back and all your body wants is another taste?

Pages or Words: 59,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Holiday

Excerpt

Sprocket grabbed the grande hot chocolates—with a dash of his favorite flavoring, pecan—and reached the gazebo with five minutes to spare, per the clock tower.

He set the drinks on the bench of the gazebo so he could spread the blanket across the floor.

“Wow, that’s a huge blanket,” Chaz stated as he took the three step up to stand at the edge of it.

“Never took you for a size queen.” Sprocket winked as he handed him a cup of steaming goodness. “So, what’s for lunch?”

“Oh, well…” Chaz held the basket close to his chest as he slipped off his shoes and situated himself in the middle of the blanket. “Not much.” He pulled a thermos from the basket. “I made homemade tomato soup and chicken salad sandwiches.” He set the thermos down and pulled out wrapped sandwiches, a bag of croutons, a plastic bowl with a translucent red lid, and a small stack of china dishes in rapid succession.

“My grandma used to make me tomato soup and grilled cheese all the time. Except she’d actually grill the cheese before putting it on the sourdough toast. I tried to make it once…didn’t end so well.” He laughed as he shook his head, settling down next to Chaz on the blanket.

“But I’ve heard you and Mason talk; you cook most of the time between the two of you.”

Sprocket accepted the sandwich handed to him and nodded. “Yep. Well you know, we both can cook, but neither of us gets much fun out of it.” He unwrapped the sandwich and picked up half, biting into it. He couldn’t suppress his moan. Damn that was good, and Chaz put nuts in it for crunch, walnuts and pecans. How did he know pecans were Sprocket’s favorite? A part of him wanted to believe maybe Chaz had asked around. Anyone in Craft Time would know and Prudence did too.

Not that it mattered either way. Nothing strange about a friend—and only a friend—knowing something as mundane as that. He quickly chewed and swallowed. “And we definitely don’t do fancy. Unless you count roast, but even then I sprinkle the seasoning on it and throw it in the oven. No fuss, no muss.”

With his next bite, something popped in his mouth, making him want to gag. He held it back, and while Chaz gazed out over the park at the kids running in the playground Sprocket lifted the toast to see what he bit into. Grapes. He grimaced as he quickly plucked the halved grapes out of the salad and dropped them on the napkin by his leg.

“You don’t like grapes?”

Sprocket jumped. Fuck…busted. “I like them fine. I like them right off the vine, frozen, even mashed up as wine…don’t like them so much with seeds, though.”

“Or in a sandwich, apparently.” Chaz noted, gesturing to the evidence on the blanket between them.

“Well…” Sprocket jammed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth and chewed slowly, biding himself some time. While he was trying to break down the enormous amount of food in his mouth, he grabbed the other half of the sandwich and proceeded to pick the grapes out of that also.

Chaz raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. He’d already been caught, no use faking it up now.

Reaching over, Chaz snatched Sprocket’s wrist and guided it to his mouth. Sprocket gulped the food in his mouth down, his stomach somersaulting either from the partially chewed lump it just received or because of the man sitting across from him on the blanket.

This wasn’t what friends did. Friends didn’t use their friend’s fingers as utensils. Still, he probably could’ve gotten past this moment if there hadn’t been a smidge of mayonnaise on the tip of his nail. Chaz spotted it, and while staring Sprocket in the eye, he put that spot right in front of his mouth. They sat like that for an eternity. Sprocket could feel his heart pounding fast, wondered if his pulse alerted Chaz to his extreme interest in the man’s next move.

He wanted to shout at Chaz to lick him. Do it now. Put him out of his misery. There was nothing Sprocket wanted more than to experience the wetness of Chaz’s tongue as it cleaned the white stuff from his finger. That was a lie. Sprocket wanted them to make more white stuff that had to be cleaned off, the kind you couldn’t purchase in a store. Well, maybe you could purchase it…but he really didn’t want his brain to go off on that tangent.

Finally—finally!—Chaz licked the condiment off. Before he could move back and call an end to this little episode, Sprocket broke free of his grip and hooked his hand behind the other man’s neck, holding him there, unable to move away.

When their lips met, it wasn’t gentle and coaxing. Sprocket wasn’t in that kind of mood. He wanted bad and he wanted now. Fuck friends. That whole concept was overrated if it kept him up all night in need. Anyway, this wasn’t his fault. Chaz started this shit; Sprocket would finish it.

And this time, he’d be better prepared. When Chaz kicked him the fuck out of his life, it wouldn’t tear him apart. Because no matter what, he’d make sure there wasn’t a spot in his heart for Chaz. Sprocket willingly would give up half his bed for the man, but nothing more.

While diving his tongue in Chaz’s mouth—reaching far enough back he could say with great certainty Chaz no longer had tonsils—Sprocket damn near convinced himself that he could do that, too.

Then Chaz whimpered, his hand pressing against Sprocket’s chest, right over his heart, and Sprocket knew he was a goner.

Buy the book: Smashwords | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon

Meet the Authors

Lee Brazil:

Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true.

Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words.

Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit?

Someone hands you a book, and then you turn the page and see… There you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are…beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.

I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now. It’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.

If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer…or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and I’ve come to realize that’s the best thing in the world to be, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more.

If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college…teaching…or writing.

Havan Fellows:

I annoy, love, respect, scare, seduce, hurt, anger, infatuate, frustrate, flatter, envy, amuse and tolerate everyone. I just do it better in writing thanks to a little thing called…edits.

Okay no, seriously…I’m a simpleminded person who enjoys the escape from real life through a book. I write with the group Story Orgy and hope to continue doing so for a long time. I also am privileged to be with the Pulp Friction writers, creating intermingling books in a world all our own.

I recently took the drastic step of quitting my EDJ (evil day job) and am now living in the gorgeous desert in Arizona making a go at this writing stuff full time…and I can’t see me regretting this decision ever.

Just like every other red-blooded human—I get a little bouncy when I get mail (any kind too…email, comments, private messages…you wanna do it, do it with me *winks*). So feel free to drop me a line—whether it’s on my blog, twitter, PInterest, or you track me down on FaceBook or Google +…it’s easy to catch someone who wants to be caught.

Where to find the authors:

Lee Brazil:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lee.brazil
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/leebrazilauthor
Twitter: @leebrazil
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leebrazil/
Newsletter Signup: http://eepurl.com/qBhBb

Havan Fellows:

Blog – http://havanshawthaven.blogspot.com
Twitter – @havanfellows
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/havanfellows/
FaceBook – http://www.facebook.com/HavanFellowsauthor?fref=ts
Google + – https://plus.google.com/100539863028704367957/posts
FB group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/crawlinbedwithlee/

Tour Dates & Stops:

17-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews
19-Nov: Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie
21-Nov: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads
24-Nov: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings,
26-Nov: Unquietly Me, Love Bytes
28-Nov: Wake Up Your Wild Side, Happily Ever Chapter
1-Dec: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Velvet Panic
3-Dec: TTC Books and More
5-Dec: The Jena Wade, Jessie G. Books
8-Dec: V’s Reads, Cathy Brockman Romances
10-Dec: Nautical Star Books, Louise Lyons
12-Dec: My Fiction Nook
15-Dec: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Books A to Z
17-Dec: Jessie G. Books
19-Dec: The Day Before You Came
22-Dec: QUEERcentric Books
24-Dec: Prism Book Alliance
26-Dec: Kimi-Chan
29-Dec: Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Molly Lolly
31-Dec: BFD Book Blog, Alpha Book Club
2-Jan: Sassygirl Books, Dawn’s Reading Nook

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter prize of Rafflecopter Prize: Kindle Fire with books from Havan Fellows & Lee Brazil. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the authors and Pride Promotions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Author Spotlight: Lynn Lorenz on Diversity in Characters & ‘Silent Lodge’ (The Company of Men Series) (guest, post,series excerpts and giveaway)

Author Name: Lynn Lorenz
Book Names: The Mercenary’s Tale, Jackson’s Pride,
Baymore’s Heir, His Duke’s Gift
Series: In The Company of Men,Books: One through Five
Release Date: September 2015 – December 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Hartwood Publishing
Cover Artist: Georgia Woods

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Lynn Lorenz here this morning to talk about her series The Company of Men, her latest novel in that series, Silent Lodge, and give us some insight into her stories with a post on ‘Diversity in Characters’. Welcome, Lynn. we are delighted to have you here.

~

Diversity in Characters by Lynn Lorenz

Diversity doesn’t just mean having character with different races. It means having characters who have mental illness and struggle with it everyday, like Will in Jackson’s Pride and Baymore’s Heir.

And in Silent Lodge, Arvel, the young man who tends the lodge, is both mute and deaf. He doesn’t have the use of our modern sign language, and because of losing his hearing at as a child, any sounds he can make are not by any means words.

~*~

The fork to the left disappeared around a copse of trees, the one on the right headed straight, through flat fields.

From a distance, a shout echoed. He snapped his head up, turning so he could hear the direction. For a long moment, silence. Then another shout, this time louder.

The road ahead was empty for miles. It had to come from the left, toward the lodge.

He kicked his heels into the mare and urged her down the narrow lane. She broke into a trot, and they rounded the curve.

Ahead, a group of young men had another man surrounded.

Thieves? Villains?

They looked clean enough, but the hatred and disgust on their faces couldn’t hide their intent. All of them were large young men, but the man they’d turned their anger on was only half their size in height and weight. Truly an unfair fight if he’d ever seen one.

One of the men stepped out of the circle and kicked the legs out from under the man. He fell onto his back, his hands going up to protect his face. His attacker moved in, fists clenched, as the others goaded him on with shouts and curses.

Peter shouted, “Ho! What’s this?” and jerked his steed to a stop. He leaped off and strode forward as he pulled his sword.

“None of your business, now, is it?” one of the men called over his shoulder. The others shifted to one side, opening the circle and exposing the man on the ground.

“Get away from him!” Peter advanced. “Is this fair? Six men against one?”

Their faces flashed shame, except for the one still standing over the downed man. His look of hatred and anger hadn’t changed.

“You! Step away from him.” Peter stepped into the middle of the group.

The man blocked his way, red faced and frowning. “Who are you?” he barked. “This is none of your affair.”

“Who I am is none of your affair, but I won’t allow such villainy.”

At the flourish of Peter’s sword, the man backed down.

“Now, get along with you. Go on. I don’t know what this man has done, nor do I care. If it’s a matter for your village elders, let’s bring him before them. If not, then be on your way.”

The crowd moved farther away, leaving a gap between the attacker and themselves. Clearly, they were only following their leader. The man looked from them to Peter as if deciding his next course of action.

He pointed at the man on the ground. “Next time I catch you, no one will be around to save you.” He spat at the man, then strode to his companions.

They circled around him, absorbing him in their midst, and then without another look at Peter they fled.

~*~

So how does this affect Arvel? As you might think, he’s bullied by the other young men in the nearby village, to the point of fearing for his life. From being pushed, spit on, and cursed at, to being beaten, almost to death, Arvel has spent most of his life being punished for something he has no control over.

So he hides at the lodge, which Duke Logan’s father owns. Logan knows of the young man, and has allowed him to live there, caring for it, more for Arvel’s protection, than Logan’s need.

When I wrote this character it was easy to fall into thinking about Arvel’s thoughts and actions in respect to our world. But Arvel doesn’t know sign language other than a few rudimentary signs, like putting food in his mouth, or mimicking motions to describe things.

Also, his internal thoughts can’t be written like anyone else’s because his frame of reference isn’t built around language, but around the natural world around him. How he describes colors, for instance.

~*~

“I won’t hurt you.”

A pink tongue licked pinker lips. He blew a great breath, and strands of red hair flew up and away from his face.

He nodded.

“I’m going to get off now. Are you well?”

Another nod.

Peter shifted, got to his feet, and offered his hand.

The man took it, and Peter pulled him to his feet. He came up to Peter’s shoulder. Peter fought the urge to push the man’s hair from his face and pick the leaves from it.

Strange.

“What’s your name?” He softened his tone.

Arvel tilted his head, inspecting the man’s face with the intensity of a hawk. It warmed him all over to look at this man, just like his Heart did.

But was he a friend? Would he be safe?

Something about the man made Arvel trust him.

He pushed the hair out of his face, then squatted and wrote his name in the dirt with his finger, as he’d been taught long ago.

“Arvel? Is that your name?” Something about that name sounded familiar.

The man nodded and gave him a shy smile.

“I’m Peter.” He pointed to his chest and squatted down to write his name just as the younger man had, in the dirt of the road.

Arvel watched him, then nodded.

“Are you hurt?”

Arvel got to his feet and brushed off his breeches and tunic. He extended his hand toward Peter, those lavender eyes glancing up and down Peter’s body.

Peter took the offered hand in his. Small, delicate. If he didn’t know this was a man, he’d have sworn the hand belonged to a woman. Everything about Arvel spoke of gentleness, delicacy, and grace.

But he still hadn’t said a word, just stared hard at Peter as if absorbing every word he’d spoken.

“Well. Can I escort you to your home in case the others come back?” Peter moved away and gathered his horse’s reins as she grazed along the side of the lane.

Arvel cocked his head and twisted his lips to the side.

Too many words at once and his lips moved too fast.

Arvel waited for the man to speak again.

Peter shrugged. It seemed the young man didn’t want his help. He climbed into the saddle as his mare grunted and tossed her head at the tightening of her bit. He gave Arvel a wave and turned the horse back to the lane. He needed to find the lodge before dark fell.

The young man ran forward and caught his boot. Peter looked down into Arvel’s upturned face, and his memory snapped into place. The caretaker of Marden Lodge?

Arvel mouthed his thanks as his hand clenched tightly on to Peter’s leg, pulling at him, willing him not to go. To stay.

He glanced down the road. The others might come back again to hurt him. They rarely gave up. He should never have left the safety of the lodge, his home, not even for the supplies he’d needed.

Not without someone to protect him.

Like this man.

“What is it? Can’t you speak?”

He shook his head and touched his fingers to his mouth, then to his ear and shook his head.

“You can’t speak or hear?” Peter’s eyes widened; then anger flooded him. Those bastards had not only attacked a man alone, unarmed, and outnumbered, they’d attacked someone deaf and mute. Had they no honor?

~*~

I couldn’t have him sounding like an idiot, because he’s not. In fact, Arvel is very clever and knows his own mind. He knows what he wants and how to get it. So his internal thoughts had to be simple in language, relating to his world, and show his humor.

Also, some might say I did too much head-hopping, but for this story, I wanted Arvel’s reactions to the action around him integrated into the story, like dialogue. Because he can’t speak, only motion with his face, body and hands, we don’t know what he’s thinking most of the time, and neither do the characters.

I hope it doesn’t bother you too much, but it’s how I thought the books should be written, and my editors agreed.

~*~

I hope you’ll give my medieval men a chance. You can find my books on my website. And of course, on Amazon, ARe, and all the other retailers.

And I’d like to thank you for hosting me on your blog!

Blurb(s)

The Mercenary’s Tale – Drake is a mercenary for hire. He values little other than his sword and his skill. Fighting his attraction to the young men he trains, he refuses to take any on. When Ansel walks into his life, Drake breaks all his rules.
But life for mercenaries is hard, brutal and deadly.
Can Drake take a chance on finding the love he’s denied himself for so long?
Can he have a second chance?

Jackson’s Pride – Jackson has been called to attend his father, Lord Baymore. The man has never claimed Jackson as his son and Jackson believes this might be his father’s intent. He’s left the Duke of Marden’s employ to discover his destiny—to remain a nameless bastard or to claim his father’s name.
When Jackson stumbles across a man, stripped, beaten, and left in a field to die a slow death, Jackson rescues the man. After all, he’s guilty of the same thing—wanting a man.
Will Holcombe gambled and lost. His meeting with a young, willing man went horribly wrong, and now he must pay for it with his life.
Until a man walks up to him in a frozen field and cuts him down.
Jackson is like no one Will has ever met before—a man strong enough to stand with him, perhaps forever.
But Jackson’s on a mission. Will his pride blind him to what his life could be if he chose Will and not his father?
Or will his pride lead him to a fate worse than death?

Baymore’s Heir – Duke Jackson of Baymore finally has all he’s ever wanted—his name, a title, and the man he loves by his side. Lord Will Holcombe couldn’t be happier. He’s Jackson’s lover, best friend, and manages all of Jackson’s affairs. For two years, their life together, although deadly if anyone knew of their forbidden love, has been perfect.
Until Jackson the day when decides the one thing he needs is an heir.
And the one person to find him a wife is Will.

Silent Lodge – Drake and Logan are worried about their friend and captain of the guard, Peter. After the death in childbirth of Peter’s wife, he’s a changed man. Unfocused, lonely, and devastated, Peter needs a new challenge, instead of going through the motions of living.

Logan sends Peter on a mission – to discover Duke Weathersby’s plans for invasion. Logan’s father has a small hunting lodge near the border of their lands, and it has a caretaker. Peter sets off alone, to make camp at the lodge and do some scouting.

But what he finds at the lodge just may be his future. Arvel is a fascinating young man. Red haired, deaf and mute from a fever as a child, he’s been living in the lodge and caring for it for years. It’s a safe haven for him. But he’s not alone. He has a protector, Gareth.

When Gareth, Arvel and Peter are together, sparks fly. Arvel belongs to Gareth, but he wants Peter too. Can Peter join their small family? And if he does, will he always be the third to their couple?

His Duke’s Gift – In this Yuletide story, Duke Logan is preparing the keep for the holiday. Twelve nights of feasting and gift giving to those in his favor. Gifts must be made or bought. Once mercenary Drake struggles to think of just the right gift for his love and liege, and for their sons.

Something isn’t right. A stranger has arrived at the keep and Logan refuses to let Drake into his bedroom at night. Angry and frustrated, Drake fears Logan has lost his love for the mercenary.

When the Twelfth night arrives, and Drake has received no gift, he begins to think he might need to take his son and leave what has become his home.

Pages or Words: Varies by book
Categories: Historical, M/M Romance

Excerpt (NSFW)

Ansel lowered himself with effort to the ground and leaned back on his saddle. From across the fire I could tell he still ached. I rummaged in my saddlebag and found the vial of oil I used to keep my leathers supple. It would work for Ansel’s back.

“That’s enough moaning from you. Take off your shirt and stretch out; I’m giving you a rubdown before you become so stiff you can’t move.” It came out more like an order, and Ansel obeyed.

He unlaced his leather vest, removed it, and then with careful motions, pulled his shirt over his head. Smooth chest met my gaze, lean muscles and wide shoulders. Dark hair trailed down his stomach to disappear beneath the strings of his breeches.

“Lay on your belly.” It was not the wisest thing I’d ever done, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. In truth, I wanted to touch him.

He stretched out on his cloak, his smooth broad back to me, arms over his head. There were no scars on his back or on his chest. Hidden scars, indeed.

By clicking here you agree that you are 18 or over to finish reading the NSFW excerpt.

Buy the book:

Mercenary’s Tale: Amazon | All Romance (ARe)
Baymore’s Heir: Amazon | All Romance (ARe)
Jackson’s Pride: Amazon | All Romance (ARe)

Meet the Author

Lynn Lorenz is an award-winning and best-selling author of over 30 gay romances. She lives in Texas, where she’s a fan of all things Texan, like Longhorns, big hair, and cowboys in tight jeans. She’s never met a comma she didn’t like, and enjoys editing and brainstorming with other writers. Lynn spends most of her time writing about hot sex with even hotter heroes, plot twists, werewolves, and medieval swashbucklers. She’s currently at work on her latest book, making herself giggle and blush, and avoiding all the housework.

Where to find the author:

http://www.lynnlorenz.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynn.lorenz.58
Twitter: @lynnlorenz

Tour Dates & Stops:

10-Nov: Elin Gregory, BFD Book Blog

12-Nov: Up All Night, Read All Day, Tara Lain

17-Nov: Divine Magazine, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

19-Nov: Molly Lolly

24-Nov: Velvet Panic, Havan Fellows, Inked Rainbow Reads

26-Nov: Lee Brazil, Jessie G. Books

1-Dec: Love Bytes, The Novel Approach

3-Dec: Bayou Book Junkie, MM Good Book Reviews

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of any book from any of Lynn’s series. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Links and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Coffee Sip and Book Break with J. Johanis ‘ Dream Gods (mini interview, excerpt, contest)

Dream God (S-Gods #2) by J. Johanis
Release Date: November 30, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: J. Johanis
Cover Artist: Indigo Forest Design

Today I’m happy to be interviewing J. Johanis, author of Dream God (S-Gods #2). Hi J, thank you for stopping by today and chatting with us. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

At first I wanted to be an Anthropologist. I chose that profession since I was interested in traveling the world and learning other languages. In fact, I had a map of the world on my wall and had all the countries separated by languages so I knew which languages I would have to learn. Though I studied anthropology in college, I ended up taking another career, one which also involved traveling the world and learning foreign languages. In addition wanting to be an anthropologist, I also had dreams of being an actress, fashion designer, or writer. I never pursued a career in acting, but I design and sew clothes for a hobby. Two years ago I decided to revisit my aspirations of being a writer. So I took another stab at writing and published my first novel. Dream God will be my fourth book.

Blurb

For the first time in three years, Aya is finally free, but with his freedom comes the pain of all he’s lost. Seeing Akad and Marduk together makes him realize how badly he has messed up. By betraying Marduk, he ruined his chance with the one god he desires more than anything.

Aya needs time to heal and put his world back together, but the trial against the Order looms over him. As the trial begins, Akad, Marduk, and Aya are ensnared in a web of jealousy, backstabbing, and cut-throat politics. Were

they crazy to think they could stand up to the Order? If the gods of the Order can still rip their lives apart, their chances of receiving justice may be next to impossible. But if they fail to bring the Order down, Aya may never be free from their grasp.

Content Advisory: M/M sex, polyamory, & dub-con.
Categories: Erotica, Fantasy, Gay Fiction, Ménage/Poly, Paranormal

Excerpt

A moment later, the fierce god Anshar appeared from an adjoining room. Feeling small in his presence, Aya lowered his eyes and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. When the black-bearded god stopped before him, color flushed into Aya’s face. Anshar inspected him from head to toe, and Aya became acutely aware of how he was dressed. With his long white skirt, kohl lined eyes, and straight black hair flowing down his back, he probably looked more feminine than most goddesses. He’d never appeared before the gods dressed in this manner, but this was who he was.

Anshar ran a hand over his full beard, his lips curling into a sneer. Aya folded his arms over his bare chest and took a deep breath. He wished he could escape Anshar’s scrutiny.

“You’re going to your hearing dressed like this?” Anshar gestured to Aya’s skirt.

“This is how I dressed before the Order took me. I only wore a tunic because Seth forced me to do so. He forbade me from lining my eyes with kohl and never let me dress how I liked.”

Anshar stared at Aya for a moment longer, his expression skeptical, then shrugged. “Very well. Do as you like, but before we go, I must warn you that the hearing will be held in Siren’s temple. Her powers are intense and can be felt well before you stand before her. For older gods, her powers act like a strong aphrodisiac. We are able to take being in her presence. However, for younger, weaker gods, her powers inflict overwhelming arousal. It will be so severe that you won’t be able to function in her presence. You’ll be paralyzed with desire that will cut into you like a knife until it’s alleviated.”

Aya furrowed his brow. “But… I’ve never desired a goddess. I’ve only been with gods.”

Anshar smirked. “It doesn’t matter whether you desire gods or goddesses. She emanates lust, and it will be too much for you to handle. The only way to counter it is with sex. So, before you are presented to her, I’m going to have to fuck you.”

“What?” The color drained from Aya’s face. The idea of this fierce bearded god driving his cock into him made Aya’s hole contract and his knees go weak. The thought of Anshar coming inside him made him feel like he was going to piss.

“No, I…” Aya couldn’t breathe. He shook his head, taking a step backward. He couldn’t allow Anshar to touch him in that way. Aya’s arousal unsettled him, and he suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. Akad’s father couldn’t fuck him. He couldn’t.

As Anshar watched Aya’s retreat, anger flickered into his dark eyes. “Aya, I have no desire to fuck you, but we have no choice about the matter. If I don’t do it, you won’t be able to stand before Siren, let alone speak to her.”

“But I … My servant can do it.”

“Your servant is a mortal!” Anshar snapped, his jaw tense. “His semen will do nothing for you. You’ll need to be fucked by a god! Furthermore, I wasn’t asking for permission. I’m telling you what’s going to happen. Now, follow me and I don’t want to hear another word of protest.”

Anshar stormed out of the room, but Aya felt too weak to follow. How could he let this god fuck him? Tears came to his eyes. Too many gods had bent him to their will. He wanted it all to be over. He wanted to give his body to whom he chose and no one else. Aya took a deep breath. He was faint. All the blood had drained from his head, and he wavered, grabbing a chair to steady himself.

Aya shook his head, doing his best to gather his courage. He had to be strong to get through this. Once the trial was over, he could start over. His body would be his own once again. Testifying against the Order was the only way he could gain his freedom once and for all. Aya finally made his feet move, and he followed Anshar out.

Sales Links: Amazon

About the author:

J. Johanis writes dark m/m erotic fantasy, and enjoys plots that are historical or myth-based.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000258007847
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorjjohanis?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JennaJohanis
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jennajohanis/
Website: http://jjohanis.com/
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JJohanis/posts:
Blog: http://sirensreckoning.blogspot.com/
Newsletter signup: http://eepurl.com/bF8Ovf

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, The Novel Approach, Havan Fellows, Happily Ever Chapter, Divine Magazine, Multitasking Mommas, Emotion in Motion, Love Bytes, TTC Books and More, My Fiction Nook, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, BFD Book Blog, The Jena Wade, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Amanda C. Stone, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Books A to Z, Nephy Hart, Dawn’s Reading Nook

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 gift card and E-copy of book one in the series. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Dive Back Into the Supernatural with Melissa Grave’s Tainted Heart (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

Tainted Heart (Mi Corazón Sangrante #2) by Melissa Graves
Release Date: November 5, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: RJ Shepherd, Buckeyegrrl Designs

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Melissa Graves author of Tainted Heart. Hi Melissa, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Tainted Heart is an urban paranormal story with themes of political intrigue and a heavy dose of erotica. The two main characters—a gay couple comprised of a human doctor who treats vampires and ends up falling for one, and the vampire he loves, a young, socially outcast man who was put through hell in high school—bring a variety of human and vampire experiences to the page. Brian, the doctor, comes from privilege and wants to make the world a better place, for vampires and humans alike. Kyle, the vampire, struggles to move on from his past and find a way to grow and give back on his own terms—unlike Brian, his love for the world he lives in is still somewhat conditional.
• How difficult was it to get into the main character’s head?

It’s actually surprisingly easy. I have a little of both Brian and Kyle in me. I love Brian’s optimism and determination to affect positive change. His energy and the faith that it creates is inspiring. But sadly, most of the time, I’m Kyle—trying to shake off the chains of persistent, youthful pessimism, far too wrapped up in memories and doubt to see the world as a work in progress instead of a system of oppressive stumbling blocks. One does much to balance out the other. In the first book, we get more of the shiny, new relationship trappings, so the differences between them aren’t highlighted. In Tainted Heart, we get to see them struggle as a couple for the first time—so readers will get some realism to contrast the first time romance theme in Bleeding Heart.
• Is this book a standalone or do you plan on visiting it again?

Tainted Heart is the second book in the Mi Corazon Sangrante trilogy. Bleeding Heart, the first book, was an introduction. Tainted Heart is the meat of the story of Brian and Kyle, how they struggle and settle with themselves, their responsibilities, and others. The third and final book will hopefully leave readers with a solid sense of completion and a good idea of how the rest of the characters’ lives will play out. I definitely want to provide satisfactory closure—I hate when book series go on and on with little to no clear purpose and leave the reader wondering why this thing is still happening.
• Why did you choose to write M/M stories?

It wasn’t so much a choice as a quest. I grew up obsessed with romance novels with neat plots and heart-pounding tension that led to explicit erotica. There was little chance of finding that in combination with sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal themes, but I looked! Through Anne Rice and Buffy, I sweated and swooned, but never found quite what I was looking for—a story about two imperfect men falling for each other and trying to figure themselves out while balancing the pressures of responsibility and settling down. A story not centered entirely around coming out or homophobia—those stories are vital, but not what I wanted to find when I went looking for fictional escape—but rather the struggle that results when two people from very different backgrounds try to create a life together.
• Where do you find your inspiration?

Anne Rice’s work has always been hugely influential for me. Her prose, humor, and the way she embraces every facet of human (and vampire!) nature is incredibly satisfying for me. There is a brutal honesty as well as an almost melancholy acceptance of life in her work that I find very truthful. Shows like Buffy and Angel played a role in the development of my style, as well as the Sookie Stackhouse books, which have a deliciously out there humor and a camp that’s refreshingly modern. L.J. Smith churned out some excellent young adult paranormal series that combine the supernatural with growing up experiences (romantic and otherwise) that I found very enjoyable. Anything that combines sarcasm, sex, and a hint of gloom is right up my alley.

For the Mi Corazon Sangrante series, I aimed for a variety of these elements. I wanted the characters to be relatable but not necessarily stereotypical. I wanted there to be humor even in darker moments. I wanted people to root for them, but not because they were perfect. I wanted them to be the kind of guys you might imagine having for neighbors. I wanted their story—and especially their love life—to turn people on. I hope everyone comes to love them the way I have!

Blurb

A year after meeting and falling for the young, mysterious vampire, Dr. Brian Preston is now living and working side-by-side with Kyle Hayes for the agency guiding vampire-human relations at a secret underground facility. As the couple adapts to the demands of Brian’s career tending to vampires, Kyle’s return to school and the needs of their evolving relationship, a dangerous conspiracy puts everyone they know and everything they have been working for in danger. The sequel to 2014’s Bleeding Heart, Tainted Heart is Book Two in the Mi Corazón Sangrante series.

Excerpt

When it gets dark, he texts Brian that he’s going to be out late, and avails himself of not one but three vampire-human nightclubs set along a dense strip of Chicago nightlife. Going alone to places like this always attracts immediate attention, and he isn’t surprised when he has to pry both humans and vampires off of himself. But he doesn’t mind—the blood from the center is humming in his veins, and that buzz takes on a new dimension every time that he swallows a thimbleful of blood from a donor, which he does at least a dozen times over the course of the evening. When he’s more relaxed, he allows bodies against his own, dancing with strangers until strobe lights become normal and everything outside is too dim and still.

The blood changes the world around him. Every color, every sound and every source of light takes on a life of its own.

He loses track of how many donors he pays. All he knows is he’s spent all of the pocket money that Brian gave him for the weekend.

He feels like a bloated tick. He’s been away too long. Brian. He has to get back to Brian.

Pages or Words: 294 pages
Categories: Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Thriller, Urban Fantasy

Buy the book:

store.interludepress.com;

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=InterludePress;

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978-1-941530-52-8?aff=InterludePress

Meet the author:

A veteran writer of fan fiction with thousands of followers, Melissa Graves wrote her first story at age thirteen, and by age sixteen had met her future husband in an online vampire fiction chat room. A fan of science fiction and fantasy, she has a degree in anthropology and a passion for good chocolate, amateur erotica and fan worlds that celebrate diversity. She is mother to two cats.

Bleeding Heart, book one of the Mi Corazón Sangrante series, was her debut novel for Interlude Press.

Where to find the author:

Connect with Melissa at msmelissagraves.com, on Twitter at twitter.com/msmelissagraves, on Goodreads at goodreads.com/melissagraves and on Facebook at facebook.com/msmelissagraves.

Tour Dates & Stops:

5-Nov: Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Mikky’s World of Books
6-Nov: Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Divine Magazine, Hearts on Fire
9-Nov: BFD Book Blog, Jessie G. Books, MM Good Book Reviews
10-Nov: The Jena Wade, Bike Book Reviews
11-Nov: TTC Books and More, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Havan Fellows
12-Nov: Unquietly Me, Love Bytes, Molly Lolly
13-Nov: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Up All Night, Read All Day
16-Nov: My Fiction Nook, All I Want and More Books
17-Nov: Prism Book Alliance, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My
18-Nov: Happily Ever Chapter, Inked Rainbow Reads

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Grand Prize plus five multi-format eBook editions of Tainted Heart. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Must be 18 or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Contemporary Book Spotlight: Flesh Market by Kate Lowell (Author Guest blog, excerpt, giveaway)

Flesh Market by Kate Lowell
Release Date: November 10, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: April Martinez

Hi, I’m Kate Lowell! Thanks for joining me on the Flesh Market tour, or what I’ve come to call “The blog tour that will forever make you question your view of the world around you”. I know it did that for me. Tons of research that went into this book. So many books, so many articles, and over the course of the tour, I’m going to share some of that research, and some of my sources with you. (Please be gentle—it was extremely difficult to condense all that info down to a reasonable sized blog post for each topic. I could have gone on ad nauseum—and honestly, some of the reading was nauseating.) One lucky winner will get to choose any one book from the ones I’ve highlighted through the tour, and I’ll send it to them. (Caveat: I won’t necessarily send the cheapest version of a book, but I do need to keep my pocketbook in mind. And some books may only be available used, or in electronic format. We’ll talk when you win. )

Post 4 – Starting Your Career as an FBI agent

Once an agent graduated through the grueling 5 month training at Quantico, they are assigned to their first field office. Early in their training, new agents are asked to rank the 56 FBI field offices in order of preference. Agents find out which office they’ll be going to in their 6th week of training, to give them time to make arrangements for housing, and to allow any family that will be accompanying them to make arrangements for jobs, schools, etc. On average, a student ends up in their 5th preference—which isn’t to say you should put your favorite in slot 5; the 5th is just an average, and some get their first, and some get their 10th, or 20th, or 50th.

It used to be that agents would spend the first three years of their career in one field office, then be transferred to another. In 2004, a regulation was enacted that required new agents to go to a smaller field office for their first placement, before they could move to a large office. This was in the interest of creating a well rounded agent with investigative skills in a number of areas, who could then specialize after transfer to a larger center. (Also, the new agents complained a lot about the cost of living in some of these big cities on new agent’s wages. 🙂 )In recent years, this policy has changed, as the cost of financing these required transfers became too high. Now, it’s entirely possible for an agent to stay in one field office for their entire career, though many don’t. In a larger field office, they may specialize in criminal investigations, counterterrorism, cyber investigations or international work, among other options. After three years in an investigative position, they may apply for the Hostage Rescue Team, or may set their sights on advancement and promotion within the Bureau.

Agents may also spend time out of country, in various consulate positions, though they generally need to have some experience as an FBI agent, and an appropriate background for the posting, before they would be.

Blurb

Special Agent Leo Gale is up a creek. A year and a half of deep cover is about to go up in flames. He needs help – something, someone to salvage the operation and save the lives of untold numbers of trafficked teenagers.

But he wasn’t expecting the partner they sent, or his own gut-punch of a response to the man.

Julian worked hard for that FBI Honors Internship. It was supposed to be a foot in the door. He’d never expected it to catapult him into the middle of a major undercover operation. Yet here he is, sleeping on a filthy mattress and using every trick in the book to avoid torture—and worse. He’s never felt so scared, or so alive, in his entire life, and he’s not sure if it’s the danger, or Leo, that’s making his heart race.

There’s no time to think about it, though. The operation is heating up, and Leo and Julian are running out of time and options. As choices become more difficult, they must find a way to take the traffickers down, or risk becoming just another set of organs for sale.

Excerpt

Inside the bathroom, DeGraff peered behind the door and moved an OUT OF SERVICE FOR CLEANING sign from the back to the front.

Julian was at the sink at the far end of the room, staring into the mirror with water dripping off his face. DeGraff stepped into one of the stalls, and Leo went to wash his hands at one of the other sinks. Julian glanced up at him, then tore off some paper towel and wiped his face dry. He tossed the towel in the overflowing garbage can and slunk past Leo with all the angsty self-consciousness of a hormonal teenager.

Leo wished he had time to appreciate the performance, but he had a job to do. As Julian passed him, Leo spun and grabbed him from behind, pinning Julian’s arms to his side and covering his mouth. Julian made a startled noise, muffled by Leo’s hand, and began to thrash. He kicked Leo painfully in the shin, but by then DeGraff was out of the stall and had jabbed his syringe into Julian’s shoulder. Leo fought the young man down to the floor while DeGraff stood watch by the bathroom door. Five tense minutes later, Julian was completely spaced out, limp as a rag in Leo’s arms.

Pages or Words: 75,000 words (pre-edits).
Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Thriller

Buy the book: Loose id

Meet the author:

Kate lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. She has one horse now, who still has medical issues, and three cats, all of which still have mental issues. She still refuses to get a dog, because who knows what would be wrong with it?

Kate loves to read and write. She also likes playing with computers and is going back to school to do a programming degree, just for giggles. Or the opportunity to take over the world. (Oh, who are we kidding? Think of all the work that would mean.) She also likes pictures of pretty men and keeps many of them on her computer. (The pictures, not the men.) She would dearly love a cabana boy to mow her lawn and maybe rub her shoulders after a long day of making men fall in love with each other, then cackling evilly and raining frustration and danger on them.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008313548018
Twitter: @Kate_Lowell
Website: www.katelowell.com

Tour Dates & Stops:

3-Nov: Jessie G. Books, KathyMac Reviews

4-Nov: BFD Book Blog,

5-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews

6-Nov: The Blogger Girls, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

9-Nov: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

11-Nov: Divine Magazine, Hearts on Fire, QUEERcentric Books

12-Nov: Kimi-Chan, Love Bytes, Havan Fellows

13-Nov: Happily Ever Chapter, Bayou Book Junkie

16-Nov: Inked Rainbow Reads

17-Nov: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, My Fiction Nook

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy of one of the recommended reads Kate used in her research for Flesh Market. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Afternoon Book Break: Passing on Faith ( In Good Faith #2) by A.M. Leibowitz (excerpt and contest)

Passing on Faith ( In Good Faith #2) by A.M. Leibowitz
Release Date: November 1, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Supposed Crimes LLC (Acquitted Books) http://www.supposedcrimes.com/
Cover Artist: Stacy O’Steen

Blurb:

Following his father’s death, Micah Forbes believes he can finally put the family who rejected him and their religious bigotry behind him. In a cruel twist, his older brother calls to tell him he’s inherited their father’s abandoned vacation home.

Micah discovers the house comes complete with a long list of repairs, boxes full of family secrets, and a handful of quirky neighbors. Despite not wanting to get in too deep, he can’t help the spark of interest stirred when the sexy redhead next door offers his help. Everything about the enigmatic Cat Rowland throws Micah off-balance, from his gender-bending sense of fashion to his handy repair skills to his deep spirituality. Before long, Micah is swept up by Cat and his friends, but Cat himself keeps his heart carefully protected.

When Micah’s past and his present collide in a painful way, his self-destructive coping habits threaten to overwhelm him. To save himself, he needs to open his soul and let someone in. Cat has the key to unlock him, if he can let down his guard and trust his faith enough to catch Micah as he falls.

Pages or Words: 276 pages, approximately 96,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Trans*, Religious/Spiritual

Excerpt:

Micah decided he would sit right there until he was struck with a brilliant plan for how to manage his misfortune. It might have been a whole two minutes before someone knocked on the front door. Huffing, he rose and went to answer it.

He nearly groaned when he saw who it was. Cat, his oddly chipper neighbor, was back. He had a glass of what might have been lemonade in his hand and a lopsided smile on his face. When he looked up at Micah, his expression changed. His smile slid away and his eyes widened.

“You okay?” he asked.

Micah ran a hand through his hair and contemplated telling Cat it was just allergies. Instead, something made him say, “No. I am not okay. But if you want to come in and sit on my couch, risking black lung from all the dust, by all means.” He stood aside and swept his hand, indicating Cat should join him.

Hesitantly, Cat stepped over the threshold. He extended the glass to Micah. “Thought you could use this. Maybe you need something stronger, though.”

Micah snorted. “Yeah, probably, except I don’t drink.” He accepted the lemonade and took a sip. The tart liquid was refreshingly cool against his burning throat. “Thanks for this.” He tilted the glass toward Cat.

Cat grinned. “I was a little worried for a minute there. Want to tell me about it?”

Micah sighed heavily. “I inherited this house. My father just died.”

“I’m sorry,” Cat said, his voice soft and warm.

“I’m not.”

Buy the book:

Meet the author:

A. M. Leibowitz is a queer 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 about life, relationships, hope, and happy-for-now endings. In between noveling and editing, she blogs coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, and her family

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amymitchell29
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/UnchainedFaith
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyunchained
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amyunchained/
Website: http://amleibowitz.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8544236.A_M_Leibowitz

Tour Dates & Stops:

2-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews

3-Nov: The Hat Party, My Fiction Nook

4-Nov: Velvet Panic, Love Bytes

5-Nov: Divine Magazine, Nephy Hart, Lee Brazil, Posy Roberts, Inked Rainbow Reads

6-Nov: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter

9-Nov: Bayou Book Junkie

10-Nov: Wake Up Your Wild Side

11-Nov: BFD Book Blog

12-Nov: Prism Book Alliance

13-Nov: Jessie G. Books, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Signed print copy of ‘Passing on Faith’ by A.M. Leibowitz. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

The Sin City Uniform Men are Back in Morticia Knight’s ‘Negotiating Love’ (Excerpt and giveaway)

Negotiating Love (Sin City Uniforms #5) by Morticia Knight
Release Date: October 27, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Cover Artist: Posh Gosh

Blurb

Can the kinky billionaire owner of Dark Fantasy Resort Casino capture the heart of a muscled SWAT officer with a secret fetish?

SWAT Team Hostage Negotiator, Steve, wonders why he can’t stay away from the spoiled rich Allistair, owner of Dark Fantasy Resort Casino. They have mutual kinks – ones Steve can’t find with other lovers—but there’s something else about the emotionally detached, beautiful man that calls to him.

Billionaire Allistair stays alone in his luxury penthouse apartment at the top of Dark Fantasy, terrified of the real world and of opening himself up to genuine emotions. He takes lover after lover, all of them allowing him to do whatever he wants to their bodies, in the hopes that they can scam something from him.

One night is all he ever shares with a plaything—he knows they only want the money and luxury he can offer them and nothing more. But the down to earth Steve is different. They share the same kinks and are explosive when together. But could the muscled law officer ever want more than the lust-filled encounters that have become such an addiction?

As they grow closer, they discover they also have to find a balance between Steve’s everyday world and Allistair’s entitled world before they can truly find an ever after. They also have to make sure Allistair stays safe. Filthy rich playboys are too tempting to those who seek the ultimate payday—and who aren’t afraid of hurting someone to get it.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of BDSM and fetishism.

Pages or Words: 50,851 words
Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Erotica, M/M Romance, Mystery

Excerpt

Steve pulled a surprised Allistair into his arms, embracing him in a strong hold. They’d never hugged. It wasn’t anything Steve had planned, but Allistair’s words reinforced the conclusion Steve had come to about the casino owner—he was in desperate need of being treated with care and affection.
Maybe I am too.
The extreme tension in Allistair melted the longer Steve held him. He didn’t pat or stroke his back, he kept them still, the rate of their breathing eventually matching.
“What if you use me all afternoon until I’m wrung dry? Then I’ll undoubtedly need sustenance for later on tonight. If we get to a restaurant early enough, we’ll be able to enjoy the view while it’s still light out.”
A light rumble from Allistair’s laugh vibrated against his chest. “You’re amazing. That sounds perfect, but I need to add one thing.”
Steve pulled back enough to see Allistair’s expression, without completely letting go. “I hope it’s something filthy. You’ve been unusually well behaved since we left the penthouse.”
The smile Allistair beamed at him was stunning. It made him even more beautiful and Steve could detect a glimpse of what the real Allistair might be like.
“Just our shared kink.”
“They’re in my bag. I’ll wear whichever one you choose.”
Steve was aware of his cock filling right as Allistair hardened, his pupils widening.
“Pour the champagne, Steve. Then peel off your clothes for me, slowly.” Allistair’s breathing sped up. “Very slow when you get to your jeans.”
“Anything for you, Allistair. Whatever you want.”

Buy the book

Pride Publishing | Amazon US |Amazon UK | B&N | ARe

Meet the Author

Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after.

If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011.

Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/morticiaknight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormorticiaknight

Giveaway

Giveaway Factoid: 3. Allistair has a secret camera system in Club Seduction that allows him to pick out his evening’s entertainment.

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Signed paperback and a Halloween goodie bag. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Tour Dates & Stops:

26-Oct: Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Foxylutely Book Reviews

27-Oct: Nautical Star Books, Nephy Hart

28-Oct: Velvet Panic, Bike Book Reviews

29-Oct: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Divine Magazine

30-Oct: Just Love Romance

2-Nov: Mikky’s World of Books, Bayou Book Junkie

3-Nov: Havan Fellows

4-Nov: My Fiction Nook, Jessie G. Books

5-Nov: Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

6-Nov: Happily Ever Chapter

9-Nov: Love Bytes

10-Nov: MM Good Book Reviews

11-Nov: Prism Book Alliance

12-Nov: V’s Reads, Inked Rainbow Reads

13-Nov: Parker Williams

15-Nov: The Hat Party

16-Nov: Decadent Delights

17-Nov: The Novel Approach

18-Nov: 3 Chicks After Dark

19-Nov: TTC Books and More

19-Nov: BFD Book Blog

20-Nov: Molly Lolly

Something Like a Love Song by Becca Burton Release Date: November 19, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Interlude Press Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

Giveaway

Share this:

Giveaway

Share this:

Safety In Numbers ( Sizzling Miami #5) by Jessie G. Release Date: October 31, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Jessie G. Books Cover Artist: Andrew Reyna

Giveaway

Share this:

Heart on the Run ( Hearts of Parkerburg #2) by Lee Brazil & Havan Fellows Release Date: November 16, 2015 Goodreads Link

Publisher: Appleton Publishing Avenue Cover Artist: Author.Services

Blurb

Excerpt

Meet the Authors

Giveaway

Share this:

~

Diversity in Characters by Lynn Lorenz

Giveaway

Share this:

Dream God (S-Gods #2) by J. Johanis Release Date: November 30, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: J. Johanis Cover Artist: Indigo Forest Design

Giveaway

Share this:

Tainted Heart (Mi Corazón Sangrante #2) by Melissa Graves Release Date: November 5, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Interlude Press Cover Artist: RJ Shepherd, Buckeyegrrl Designs

Giveaway

Share this:

Flesh Market by Kate Lowell Release Date: November 10, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Loose ID Cover Artist: April Martinez

Giveaway

Share this:

Passing on Faith ( In Good Faith #2) by A.M. Leibowitz Release Date: November 1, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Supposed Crimes LLC (Acquitted Books) http://www.supposedcrimes.com/ Cover Artist: Stacy O’Steen

Share this:

Negotiating Love (Sin City Uniforms #5) by Morticia Knight Release Date: October 27, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Pride Publishing Cover Artist: Posh Gosh

Giveaway

Share this:

Something Like a Love Song by Becca Burton
Release Date: November 19, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

Safety In Numbers ( Sizzling Miami #5) by Jessie G.
Release Date: October 31, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Jessie G. Books
Cover Artist: Andrew Reyna

Heart on the Run ( Hearts of Parkerburg #2) by Lee Brazil & Havan Fellows
Release Date: November 16, 2015
Goodreads Link

Publisher: Appleton Publishing Avenue
Cover Artist: Author.Services

Dream God (S-Gods #2) by J. Johanis
Release Date: November 30, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: J. Johanis
Cover Artist: Indigo Forest Design

Tainted Heart (Mi Corazón Sangrante #2) by Melissa Graves
Release Date: November 5, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: RJ Shepherd, Buckeyegrrl Designs

Flesh Market by Kate Lowell
Release Date: November 10, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: April Martinez

Passing on Faith ( In Good Faith #2) by A.M. Leibowitz
Release Date: November 1, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Supposed Crimes LLC (Acquitted Books) http://www.supposedcrimes.com/
Cover Artist: Stacy O’Steen

Negotiating Love (Sin City Uniforms #5) by Morticia Knight
Release Date: October 27, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Cover Artist: Posh Gosh