Enjoy a Little Kink with Your Romance? Check out Relearning the Ropes by DC Juris (Excerpt and Giveaway)

Relearning the Ropes 1000x400

Title:  Relearning the Ropes

Author: DC Juris

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kristin Norris

Release Date:  7/6/16

Heat Level: 5

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 10,485 words

Genre: M/M Romance, BDSM, Kink

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Relearning the Ropes Cover

Synopsis

When his good friend Julius dies unexpectedly, Marcus finds himself saddled with a new submissive–Charlie. But Charlie comes with a history, and a whole host of issues and problems that Marcus has never really dealt with. Marcus knows he loves Charlie, and Charlie loves him, but he’ll have to set aside his old theories about BDSM and relearn the ropes, so to speak, if he wants to be the Dom Charlie needs him to be. Previously published by Breathless Press.

Excerpt

Marcus rolled over to stare at the clock. 3:25 AM. A month ago, at precisely that moment, his phone had rung. He’d answered it, expecting it to be the only person who ever called him that late, his friend Julius, but instead it was Julius’ lawyer. The man apologized for waking Marcus, but Julius was dead  — condolences, of course — and Julius left the care of his sub, Charlie, to Marcus, and could Marcus please go over to Julius’ house and fetch Charlie?

At 3:45 AM that morning Marcus went and picked Charlie up, and, for the past month, Charlie slept in the spare bedroom across the hall. Marcus hadn’t slept since. Not that he didn’t like or want Charlie. He did, on both counts. Loved Charlie, was quite in love with Charlie. But if Marcus had wanted a live-in sub — which he hadn’t, his life was far too busy and complicated, and he was entirely too set in his ways — he wouldn’t have chosen one like Charlie. Charlie was a complex little creature: delicate and high-maintenance. He took everything Marcus knew about how to treat a sub and turned it upside down.

He thought back, remembering how, a little over two years ago, Julius had phoned him in the middle of the night, music blaring in the background so loudly that Marcus could barely hear himself speaking, let alone Julius. Julius had gone down to his favorite club, spotted Charlie, and Marcus had ended up loaning him five hundred thousand dollars to buy the battered and bruised sub out of the sex slave ring he’d been held captive in. Charlie had come such a long way since then, learning to live as a sub instead of a slave, and finding a niche in the working world.  Marcus didn’t want to do anything to set him back.

Marcus groaned and flipped over onto his other side, putting the mocking glare of the clock’s bright red numbers behind him. Aside from Charlie, Marcus had never dominated a man he’d loved. He had no clue how to reconcile the two. Charlie needed clear boundaries, a clear definition of their relationship, but how was he supposed to define their relationship to Charlie if he couldn’t define it to himself? He tried to treat Charlie like any other sub, but the fact of the matter was Charlie wasn’t just any other sub. Sold into sexual slavery at fifteen, Charlie had been dragged all across the country before he’d landed in Julius’ hands.

Marcus was all business when he served as a Dom at Anton’s BDSM playhouse, clinical, almost; for most of the men he played with, that was enough — the domination, the control. But Charlie, Charlie needed more. The only question, was could he give it? He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force himself back to sleep.

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Torquere Press

Relearning the Ropes Square
Meet the Author

Romance author, sci-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer, reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we’re talking about DC Juris. She’s a cupcake-making, football-watching, rubber-duck-collecting, drag-show loving, full-of-fabulous-with-a-capital-F kinda gal. She’s also an ordained minister and an amateur photographer. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair watching Star Trek and Supernatural repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er…research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::

https://www.facebook.com/danielchristianjuris

http://www.twitter.com/dcjuris

@dcjuris on Instagram and Periscope

http://dcjuris.blogspot.com

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One winner will be selected to win an eBook copy of Relearning the Ropes.

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A Stella Review: Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black

RATING  4 out of 5 stars

Snakes Among the FlowersTwo-time ex-con Camden Sanders has decided that Hog Mountain—an isolated community on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia—is the perfect place to continue running small scams without the threat of more prison time. But there are a few problems with this plan. One is the neighborly citizens of Hog Mountain thwarting his dirty dealings at every turn with their kindness. Another is Jackson Rhodes, a closeted Hog Mountain police officer who can see right through Cam’s good ol’ boy act and plans to catch him red-handed despite the attraction they both can feel. But the biggest problem of all is that Cam’s past is threatening to catch up with him, and it could mean trouble for more than just himself.

I already read a little free short by Jason Huffman-Black called I Am The Highway and I was pleasurably surprised by the author style. That’s why as soon I saw the new Snakes Among Sweet Flowers I was dying to read it. And the cover was a huge bonus.

Let’s start with the bad part of this review. There were some things I didn’t like: first the sex with Grant, cause I don’t like to see my MCs have sex with a third person, even if they are not together yet. I so wanted to smack Cam, not just for continuing be a some kind of thief, but for not waiting for his prince charming, Jackson. I know, there are no princes here, still I hated him. Then I didn’t like how the author chose to solve the mystery part. I felt so bad for a character who had just redeemed himself in my eyes. It wasn’t right to me and for his sweet family. Plus I had a hard time at the start at seeing Cam and Jackson made for each other and I missed some sweetness among them, till the end I was waiting for a kiss, a cuddle I didn’t get.

That said, I liked the book a lot. First of all I love stories about second chances, in this case the second chance at life Cam gets, and seeing him change so much, the small steps he did until he becomes the man he needed to be for himself and Jackson. The story sucked me in till the end. I felt all the love a great community as Hog Mountain gave to all its members, no one excluded, and when someone tried to not to welcome Cam and Jackson, there is Pastor Jimmy to set everyone straight. A place where Cam learned no one is alone, not even an ex con.

I fell to recommend  Snakes Among Sweet Flowers. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

The cover art by Angsty G is one of my favorite of this year. It simply tempts you to just pick the book and discover the tattooed man’s story.

Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 240 pages
Published June 20th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634772369 (ISBN13: 9781634772365)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A BJ Audiobook Review: Dirty Laundry (Tucker Springs #3) by Heidi Cullinan and Narrated by Iggy Toma

Rating:   5 out of 5 stars

DirtyLaundry_AudiobookThe course of true love doesn’t always run clean. But sometimes getting dirty is half the fun.

Entomology grad student Adam Ellery meets Denver Rogers, a muscle-bound hunk of sexy, when Denver effortlessly dispatches the drunken frat boys harassing Adam at the Tucker Springs laundromat. Thanking him turns into flirting, and then, much to Adam’s delight, hot sex over the laundry table.

Though Denver’s job as a bouncer at a gay bar means he gets his pick of geek-sexy college twinks, he can’t get Adam out of his head. Adam seems to need the same rough play Denver does, and it’s damn hard to say no to such a perfect fit.

Trouble is, Adam isn’t just shy: he has obsessive compulsive disorder and clinical anxiety, conditions which have ruined past relationships. And while Denver might be able to bench-press a pile of grad students, he comes from a history of abuse and is terrified of getting his GED. Neither Denver nor Adam want to face their dirty laundry, but to stay together, they’re going to have to come clean.

This one grabbed me right from the first page, and by the end it was officially my favorite of the series… and this was my fifth of the series, I went a bit out of order having started at book five and skipped around.

What fun and likable characters! I thoroughly enjoyed both of these very different characters. They were well-drawn, nuanced, and much more than just their issues. I liked the way the BDSM element in this story came in, not as something that the guys had been out there specifically seeking, but as a way of relating that worked for them for very real and understandable reasons.

Chock full of angst, kink, and sprinkled liberally with sexy bits throughout starting off with an early on sizzling scene in the public laundromat. Denver and Adam just sparked and worked for me as a couple right from that first scene. Really enjoyed seeing a main character who was dealing with OCD and Denver, well… he’s dealing with his own issues which I won’t spoil by revealing. I loved how they accepted each other despite that there was no quick fix here, no true love cures all. And not only were they able to love despite their illnesses and issues and work together to learn to deal with them… but that their issues/quirks had actually been instrumental in drawing them to one another in the first place. I adored how this made me feel that hope that everyone is right for someone just the way they are.

The secondary characters were also very loveable and strong and added a richness and diversity to the story. There was Louisa, Adam’s trans friend; Brad, Adam’s annoying ex who really did seem to care for him despite being a clueless asshat most of the time; Tiny who see’s Denver’s potential and keeps at him to work for him at the gym; and of course characters from the prior stories like El and Jason.

This is the fifth of this series that I’ve read. Narrator Iggy Toma has done an exceptional job with all of the four that he has narrated. The voices for the characters across the series were unique and fit just right with how I’d perceive them. The emotions and quirkiness of these two in particular came through perfectly. I will definitely be on the look out for other audiobooks narrated by him.

The cover by L.C. Chase   does a nice job of establishing the personality and difference of the characters and ties in well with others in the series.

Sales Links:   Riptide PublishingAudible | Amazon | iTunes


Audiobook Details: 

Audible Audio, 8 pages, 7 hrs 34 mins
Published March 30th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published January 28th 2013)
Original TitleDirty Laundry
ASINB01DKVWQH0
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesTucker Springs #3 settingColorado (United States)

An Alisa Review: Murder Most Yowl by Quinn Dressler

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Murder Most YowlCat-sitting is a dangerous business.

 

Cameron Sherwood turned his back on law enforcement the night his investigation led to the death of an innocent gay man. Now Cam spends his time running a business that caters to his favorite animal, cats. But when Cam stumbles upon the body of a friend while feeding her feline, he can’t walk away. Dealing with a sexy yet stubborn sheriff, a matchmaking sister, and a terrifying blind date, Cam must somehow track down a killer, all while keeping the cats around him fed with his gourmet cat treats.

 

Cam gave up his father’s approval when he left NCIS and came out as gay.  He has had a hard time living out and proud because he doesn’t really know how to, so his sister has taken it upon herself to set him up on a date.  It just so happens to take place shortly after he finds his friend’s body.  Imagine his surprise when his date is none other than Jake, the frustrating sheriff.

 

I loved both of these characters.  Cam was so open with his feelings and about his life to Jake it was great to see.  They both were so skeptical about their date, but were willing to open to the other.  Their love for their pets helps make the characters easy to connect with.

 

This was a very well developed story, the mystery and romance ran right alongside each other without one over powering the other.  The book had an open ending and I look forward to more stories about Cam and Jake.

 

Cover art by AngstyG is perfect and I wouldn’t do anything different.

 

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 134 pages

Published: June 29, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN: 9781634774789

Edition Language: English

 

An Ali Review: Anthony (Survivor Stories #4) by J.P. Barnaby

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

AnthonyFSAaron Downing worshiped his mother. She saved his life. She did everything for him. But Anthony Downing has a different perspective. He sees the woman who tossed him into a basement for eight long years and forgot he existed. When Anthony decides he’s done being invisible, he packs up and heads for Detroit to stay with his Internet friend Jay, but fate intervenes.

Brendan Mears lost everything the day the man with a gun came into his father’s store. Now, he’s tethered to a business he can’t manage and a brother who resents him.

Different in all the ways that matter, Anthony and Brendan struggle to overcome their psychological obstacles, until a crushing betrayal sends them running for cover and each other.

This was a much anticipated book for me and I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint. Anthony is almost 18 at the beginning of the story and he’s lost and adrift.  He’s sneaking out to parties and in love with his best friend who mistreats him.  A series of events lead him to a new life.  He gets a job and some friends and finally begins to learn who he is.  We’ve watched Anthony grow through the course of this series and I’ll admit I was super worried for him at the start of this book.  He comes into his own though and I loved the new characters we meet as Anthony starts this chapter of his life.  Brendan and his brother were great.  There were actually a few times in this book that I didn’t know where the author was headed with the story and that rarely happens to me anymore so I was happy with that.

This book was not as dark as first two books in the series were (I haven’t read book three).  If you’re already a fan of this series I think you’ll enjoy this and if you haven’t read the rest of the series you’ll find this book can easily be read as a stand alone.  For those of you who have read the prior books, there are some scenes with Aaron and his family in this.

Cover by Angsty G. I really like the cover.  This one stays with the style of the previous books in the series and I think it’s a perfect match for Anthony’s book.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner PressAmazon US  | ARe

Book Details:
ebook, 200 pages
Published June 27th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634774574 (ISBN13: 9781634774574)Edition LanguageEnglishSeries Survivor Stories

(Goodreads links – add them to your reading lists):

J.P. Barnaby On My Most Beautiful Boy, Inspiration and ‘Anthony’ by JP Barnaby (Tour and Giveaway)

AnthonyFS

Anthony by JP Barnaby
Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyG

Release Date: June 27, 2016
Goodreads Link

Purchase Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon US  | ARe 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is lucky to have J.P. Barnaby here today to share the inspiration behind the cover and story of her release, Anthony.  Welcome, J.P.

*********

My Most Beautiful Boy by J.P. Barnaby

Sometimes, I have to ponder the existence of intelligent design, or fate, or karma—nothing else explains me becoming friends with a young man named Cody. Just shy of his 21st birthday, we met at Pride in Atlanta—a city neither of us lived in. At the time, I was still living in Chicago and Cody was attending college in Birmingham—but as fate would have it, he met a mutual friend and ended up in our little group. We fed him mimosas at Joe’s and steered him away from trouble.

Now, anyone who isn’t a supermodel knows the adage—that really hot people know they’re hot and don’t let you forget it. Cody, one of the most beautiful kids I’ve ever seen, not only defied that law, but shattered it. Kind, thoughtful, and funny, Cody surprised me with his unpretentious nature. We exchanged numbers and became very close over the intervening years.

The one thing I did tell him that weekend was that I wanted him to model for me. He readily agreed. Little did we know it would take four years and a professional modeling career for that to happen. I knew as I wrote Anthony that this was the book for Cody—this was the character that matched not only his image, but his spirit. So, when I saw the image that eventually became the cover image, we reached out to the photographer and explained. He licensed the image to me, excited by the project.

AngstyG, my cover artist, went to work creating the four cover in a series of masterpieces that only she could create. There are other good cover artists that work for Dreamspinner, but Sam is my Goddess. She does all of my covers – from Aaron to In the Absence of Monster to A Heart for Robbie. Each one is unique and truly exceptional—Anthony is no exception. The original photograph was taken in a wooden area, but because Anthony is a runaway, she put him against the alley wall. It’s a striking image.

I am incredibly lucky not only with my friends, but with my models, and my artist.

They are truly extraordinary people.

Pairing: M/M

Length: Novel Length

Genre/Tags: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Hurt/Comfort

Anthony Promo1

Book Blurb

A Survivor Story

Aaron Downing worshiped his mother. She saved his life. She did everything for him. But Anthony Downing has a different perspective. He sees the woman who tossed him into a basement for eight long years and forgot he existed. When Anthony decides he’s done being invisible, he packs up and heads for Detroit to stay with his Internet friend Jay, but fate intervenes.

Brendan Mears lost everything the day the man with a gun came into his father’s store. Now, he’s tethered to a business he can’t manage and a brother who resents him.

Different in all the ways that matter, Anthony and Brendan struggle to overcome their psychological obstacles, until a crushing betrayal sends them running for cover and each other.

Excerpt

A faint chill clung to his skin, and he caught the soft scent of burning as he bent to pick up his vodka. Someone must have been using a fire pit in the quiet of a Saturday night in suburbia. Anthony liked the smell. It reminded him of the backyard barbecues they’d thrown when his family was whole. Before Aaron proved Copernicus wrong and became the center of the fucking universe.

Before Anthony became the invisible boy.

JPBarnaby_authorImage

Author Bio

JP Barnaby, an award-winning gay romance novelist, is the author of over two dozen books, including Aaron and the Little Boy Lost Series. She recently moved from Chicago to Atlanta to appease her Camaro who didn’t like the blustery winters. JP specializes in recovery romance, but slips in a few erotic or comedic stories to spice things up. When she’s not hanging out with hot guys in leather, she binge watches superheroes and crime dramas on Netflix. A physics geek, she likes the science side of Sci-Fi, and wants to grow up to be Reed Richards.

Want to keep up with JP’s latest releases?

Follow her on Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, or on her Website.

Anthony Promo Image 1

A VVivacious Review: A More Perfect Union Anthology by B.G. Thomas , J. Scott Coatsworth , Jamie Fessenden, Michael Murphy

A More Perfect Union
 
Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5
 
a-more-perfect-unionThis is a collection of four stories that explore the real life implication of the Supreme Court’s ruling on June 26; 2015. In the future no one will ever have to live with the indignation of not being allowed to marry the one they love. In the coming years gay and lesbian relationships will be different because of the possibility of marriage.
 
But what about those who shied from the thought of marriage because they thought they would never be allowed to or those who fought every step of the way so that there would come a day when their marriages to the ones they loved would be legally and lawfully recognized by all. This anthology explores some such stories.
 
Flames by J. Scott Coatsworth – 2 Stars out of 5
Alex and Gio have been together for years but the night that Gio plans to propose, they get in a fight and Alex leaves the house only to later find out that Gio is in a coma. As Alex waits for Gio to open his eyes, he looks back on their life together and regrets the fact that they didn’t get married when they had the chance…
 
This story has good bones but it isn’t very engaging. A lot of the times the story read like an itinerary of events devoid of the emotions that the main characters must surely have experienced during said events.
 
This story is written from the perspectives of both characters but Gio’s character is not very well fleshed out and this is most definitely because of the fact that he doesn’t know who he is for most of the story. While the unique circumstances of Gio’s coma fascinated me they failed to establish Gio’s character and since Alex’s character is very well established the fact that Gio’s character is not creates an inherent imbalance in the story.
 
This story has an interesting premise but it failed to get me invested in the characters mostly because of the fact that the core of this story is mostly hollow of emotions which considering the subject is surprising.
 
Jeordi and Tom by Michael Murphy – 3 Stars out of 5
Jeordi and Tom have to fight for their love every day in the face of Jeordi’s family’s disparage. When Jeordi’s parents try to keep Tom away from Jeordi while he is admitted in the hospital, Jeordi realises that he needs to do something such that no one can ever keep Tom away from him.
 
I liked this story, it had much more of a fight in it. Jeordi and Tom are two youngsters in love while everyone around them is against their relationship.
 
This story has multiple plot lines which are threaded together with a really nice theme of passing on the love.
 
Destined by Jamie Fessenden – 5 Stars out of 5
This is the story of Jay and Wallace. It chronicles their journey from the time they first met till the time they get married.
 
This was an awesome story. I loved the introduction and premise of the story.
 
I really loved Jay and Wallace. Jay is a really vibrant guy and really easy to like but I really loved Wallace. Wallace is a quiet guy, not known to emotional outbursts and appears to be kind of detached from their relationship but the author presents him in such a light that you know that while Wallace may appear detached his heart is very much in the relationship. Despite Wallace’s shy exterior looking at him from Jay’s eyes made sure that we got a good look into the person inside.
 
Jay and Wallace felt very real and I loved their story and how they ended up together. Moreover I loved all the domestic things they did together like shopping, trying to figure out how to live together, buying a house and learning to live together with a particularly over enthusiastic dog.
 
Their marriage was a dream and I loved the destiny angle in their story. I wonder if they ever figured out that they had met years before their first meeting.
 
On the whole I loved the story, it was beyond awesome.
 
Someday by B. G. Thomas – 5 Stars out of 5   
Lucas and Dalton have known each other since they were kids and while life has sent hurdles their way they have always managed to come out on the other side stronger. But Dalton refuses to marry Lucas till marriage equality becomes a reality everywhere in the United States.
 
This one was so beautiful. I loved Dalton and Lucas and their love which was amazing. This was one couple whose story I didn’t want to see end.
 
It was a perfect story about love and marriage and how this particular one came to be. This story also highlights how things have changed in the last 25 years or so… in 1990 no one would have thought that marriage equality would have been a thing of the past come 2016.
 
This anthology has been one awesome read with some amazing stories.
 
Cover Art by Reese Dante. I loved the cover. It is a perfect representation of what this anthology is all about, two men professing their love by vowing to belong to each other forever.
Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 350 pages
Published June 26th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634773322 (ISBN13: 9781634773324)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7854

In the Spotlight: Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote (excerpt)

Book Information
Title: Practice Makes Perfect
Series: Housemates book #3
Author: Jay Northcote
Publisher: Jaybird Press (self published)
Length: 54,000 words
Genre: Contemporary gay romance
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh
Release Date: Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Getting experience with the guy next door seems like a great ideauntil the lines blur.

Dev, a geeky first year physics student, has zero sexual experience and he’s determined to change that ASAP. After a bad time in halls of residence, he’s starting the summer term with different housemates and a new plan of action.

Ewan lives in the house next door to Dev. He’s young, free and single, and isn’t looking to change that anytime soon. When awkward circumstances throw them together, Ewan offers to help Dev out in the bedroom in return for maths tutoring, and Dev jumps at the chance.

They work their way through Dev’s sex-to-do list, but what starts as a perfect no-strings arrangement gets more complicated as their feelings for each other begin to grow. If they’re going to turn their lessons in lovemaking into something more permanent, they need to work out how they feel about each other—before they get to the end of Dev’s list.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30234682-practicemakesperfect
****

Excerpt

Sitting on his bed, Dev yawned, his full stomach making him sleepy. He stared at his phone as he contemplated calling home but decided he couldn’t face it tonight. He loved his mum, but she did tend to bang on. Once she got him on the line, she’d end up talking for ages and asking him a million questions he was too tired to answer. Instead, he sent his mum a quick text.

All moved in, everything’s good. I’m shattered now so I’m going to have an early night. I’ll call you tomorrow.

She replied within seconds as though she’d been waiting for him to call.

Okay sweetie, glad you’re settled. Sleep well xxx

He picked up his notepad and crossed off phone home. Texting counted. He also crossed off everything else on his list for today. That was Saturday done.

Dev set his notepad aside, opened his laptop, and pulled up his lists app. He liked his notepad for day-to-day organisation; it gave him a certain satisfaction to cross out the things he’d done and to get to the end of the day with all the tasks completed. But for longer-term planning, he kept his lists on his Mac, synced to his phone.

For the first time in six months, Dev could breathe again. Finally he had a safe place where he could get back on track and look to the future. He began to type.

Things To Do This Term

Make some friends

Learn to cook

Research sex stuff

Join Grindr

Get some experience

Find a boyfriend

He stared at the words on the screen and sighed. That seemed like a lot of things to aim for. But it was good to have goals, right? Jez and Mac seemed really nice, so hopefully Dev was already on his way to achieving the first objective. And that bloke Ewan… Dev’s mind conjured up the image of the flame-haired hunk who lived next door. Ewan had been friendly.

Maybe there was potential there too.

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H7V027A
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01H7V027A
Universal Amazon link (will open in your region) http://mybook.to/PMP_JayN

NB: Practice Makes Perfect will be Amazon exclusive for 90 days after release, and will then be available at all the usual sellers.

Author Bio:

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

Back To Hot Summer Reads And This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sun Reading

Hot Summer Reads

So after appropriately, my computer summer meltdown, we are back to discussing what’s hot in this summer’s reading list.  Are you a reader that haunts your favorite writer’s blog looking for any word on their upcoming releases?  Do you search out the most recent book news via their publishers or Goodreads? How do you get your book news?

I get it all those ways  and more….I follow authors on their twitter accounts, blogs, Goodreads, ravenously gobble up the upcoming new releases news that come my way via all the publishers and even the authors themselves.  New Rhys Ford, oh my!  Charlie Cochrane…woohoo!  Alex Beecroft, Amy Lane…actually I have a long, long, list.  I bet you do too.

Plus there’s plenty of  room on my lists for my author discoveries and new books that I read and fall in love with.  But back to the business at hand.  I haven’t had time to compile my summer  reading list with all the computer casualties to deal with and the new startup.  So help me out. What authors and what releases are on your list for this summer?  What are the hot summer books?  Tell me! And you just might end up with a hot summer prize!

girl reading between stacks of books summer

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, June 26:

  • Back To Hot Summer Reads
  • This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, June 27:

  • No Master by Christine d’Abo Series Finale Tour and Giveaway
  • Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote – Blog Stop -Charity Book
  • A Stella Review:  Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote
  • A Free Dreamer Review: King of the Storm by B.A. Brock
  • A VVivacious Review: A More Perfect Union Anthology

 

Tuesday, June 28:

  • Blog Tour for They Called Him Nightmare by Deja Black
  • Cover Reveal of The Orchard of Flesh By Christian Baines
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Dark Blood by Caleb James
  • A Lila Review: Elemental Love by L. M. Somerton
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: They Called Him Nightmare by Deja Black

Wednesday, June 29:

  • A Stella Review:  Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black
  • Anthony by JP Barnaby Tour and Giveaway
  • An Ali Review: Anthony by JP Barnaby
  • An Alisa Review: Murder Most Yowl by Quinn Dressler
  • A BJ Audiobook Review: Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Sacrati by Kate Sherwood

Thursday, June 30:

  • Blitz and Giveaway – Relearning the Ropes by DC Juris
  • An Ali Review: Hot Dogs and Kisses by JD Walker
  • A Paul Review: A Time to Rise by Tal Bauer
  • A Lila Review: Amnesia by Sean Michael
  • A MelanieM Review: Absinthe of Malice by Rhys Ford

Friday, July 1:

  • Werewolf’s Tale and a Druid’s Sword by Lexi Ander (excerpt and giveaway)
  • blitz for July 1st for K Lache’s novel, Valor (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Second Harvest by Eli Easton
  • A BJ Audiobook Review: Romanus by Mary Calmes
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Kind of Romance by Lane Hayes
  • A MelanieM Review: Ace In the Hole by Ava Drake

Saturday, July  2:

  • An Ali Review: Heaven Sent boxed set by Jet Mykles
  • A Paul B Review: The Werewolf Tutor (Shreds #1) by Jade Astor

 

girl reading under palm tree

 

 

Its All About the Wedding with Daniel & Erik’s Super Fab Ultimate Wedding Checklist’ by K.E. Belledonne (author interview, excerpt and givewaway)

Checklist 1600px (Smashwords, Amazon)

Daniel & Erik’s Super Fab Ultimate Wedding Checklist by K.E. Belledonne
Release Date: June 23, 2016

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

Today Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to be interviewing K.E. Belledonne, author of Daniel & Erik’s Super Fab Ultimate Wedding Checklist. Hi Kat, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

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

This book’s genre would technically be “romance”, but it’s not a traditional romance. There’s no bodice ripping or long luxurious love scenes. It’s a M/M romantic comedy. It’s light, it’s fun, it’s breezy and at times a bit silly. It’s a good time read.

I adore romantic comedy, it’s one of my favorite genres to read, and to watch. I love that we all know the basic structure of the plot, but how that plot is achieved can vary greatly. It’s like writing a sonnet – there are rules that govern it, but the content can vary greatly.

Q How many days a week do you write?

I try to sit down at my computer to write at least three days a week. Some weeks, I manage to get 5 days, and some weeks, I don’t get any at all. I always carry a notebook with me almost everywhere I go, so I can scribble down ideas, or write chunks of scenes when I have some downtime.

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

I’d say I’m averaging about a book a year. I like to do a lot of research, and I need to build in a lot of time for shifting things around. I also write more than one book at a time; while this book was with my editor, I started writing the next, and doing research for another.

Q 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 a trailer for this book, simply because I lack the skills to make one! I would absolutely love to have one done. Books always play like movies in my head, even the ones I’m writing. I tend to write in a very cinematic style, so I think a book trailer would really be a great addition to the book!

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

I would absolutely love to be Eloise Kelly from Lauren Willig’s The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I adore those books. They are such fun to read, such

wonderful romances and they make me laugh out loud. I’m always in a better mood after I read one, and that’s exactly what I want out of a book. Eloise is smart, and strong, and yet still goofy and nerdy. I love her.

Thanks, Kat, for the wonderful interview.  Now more about Daniel & Erik’s Super Fab Ultimate Wedding Checklist by K.E. Belledonne!

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Blurb

When Daniel gets caught up in the demands of a cheeky wedding planning app, his fiancé Erik grows frustrated with his preoccupation with adhering to heterosexual traditions. Will Daniel’s groomzilla ways give them the wedding of their dreams, or ultimately lead to their relationship’s demise?

 

Pages or Words: 53,000 words, 188 pages
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance, Rom Com

Excerpt

“I think Aurora is disappointed in me.”

“What?” Erik rubbed at his eye. It wasn’t even early morning, judging by the weak light coming through the blinds from the streetlights. “Who?”

“Aurora. The wedding planning app.” Daniel lay on his back, wide awake and staring up at the ceiling.

“The wedding planning app is not a sentient being. It has no feelings or opinions.”

“I feel like she’s judging me. I’m sorry if I woke you up.”

“Oh my god, go to sleep.”

“I can’t. I’m never going to sleep ever again.” Daniel tugged the blanket higher up his chest, folding his arms over it and exhaling heavily.

“You’re being dramatic.”

“I’ve got too many things buzzing in my head. There’s too many things I’m going to forget to do.”

“I thought that’s why you had that damn app, so you don’t have to remember anything; it’s all right there saved on your tablet.”

“Yes, but I have to remember to put everything in it.″ Daniel rolled over. ″She doesn’t just know everything—”

“A: She is not a she. It is an it. B: What are we doing tomorrow?”

“Oh my god, what is the point of sharing the app calendar if you’re never going to look at it?” Daniel wailed.

“I look at it. It’s just crammed so full of everything that I have no idea what’s going on when.”

Daniel blew out his breath. ”Look, I know you don’t like the calendar. We’ve been over that, but I don’t know how else to keep track of all of these appointments and deadlines.”

“I told you, we could color-code them, or something,” Erik rolled to his side and punched at his pillow.

“Aurora doesn’t give you that option.”

“Well, it should.”

“I agree, but there’s nothing I can do about that.” Daniel bunched his pillow up under his head. “Tomorrow, we have four appointments to meet with caterers: two in the morning, two in the afternoon.”

“Why so many in one day?”

“It’s the only day we both have available this week, and I am not going to make any decisions about the food at our reception without you there to discuss it.”

“Seriously, you could just make a choice, and I’ll live with it.” Erik rolled over.

“I don’t want you to just ‘live with it,’ Erik.″ Daniel tried to keep his voice neutral, but failed. ″This is our wedding. I don’t want you to just ‘live with it.’”

“Why are you getting so worked up about it?”

“We only get one chance at this. Everything needs to be perfect.”

“You’re going to drive us both crazy, you know that, right?” Erik tugged the blankets back up over his shoulder.

“Well, then, we’ll both be crazy.” Daniel squinted up at the ceiling. He was so tired of making these decisions. Why were there so many options? Why were there so many decisions? The planning was getting on Erik’s nerves; he was getting on Erik’s nerves. Erik was getting on his nerves. They were both just a pile of irritated nerves because the to-do list didn’t seem to be getting any smaller.

Daniel’s phone chimed with another notification from Aurora.

New Private Message from: MommyMargie.

His mother probably had another ludicrous suggestion for the reception, or a passive-aggressive reminder of the hymn that she and his father had had played at their wedding, that their grandparents had had played at their wedding and that she expected to hear at his wedding. Or maybe his parents had decided to paint the living room green. Who knew?

 

 

Buy the book

 

 

 

Meet the Author

 

K. E. Belledonne is a writer, editor and translator. A native New Englander, Kat spends her spare time listening to Glenn Miller records, reading history books and cheering on her beloved Red Sox. Her first novel, Right Here Waiting, was published by Interlude Press in 2015.

 

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

23-Jun

Prism Book Alliance, Unquietly Me, Book Lovers 4Ever, Man2ManTastic, Three Books Over The Rainbow,

BFD Book Blog

24-Jun

Bonkers About Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

27-Jun

Oh My Shelves, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

28-Jun

Havan Fellows, V’s Reads, My Fiction Nook, Open Skye Book Reviews

29-Jun

Up All Night, Read All Day, Velvet Panic, MM Good Book Reviews

30-Jun

Molly Lolly, Full Moon Dreaming

1-Jul

Attention Is Arbitrary, Alpha Book Club

4-Jul

Happily Ever Chapter, The Novel Approach, Love Bytes

5-Jul

Nephy Hart, Bayou Book Junkie, Divine Magazine

6-Jul

A.M. Leibowitz, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, 3 Chicks After Dark

 

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize: $25 Interlude Press gift card, 5 first prizes of an e-copy of Daniel & Erik’s Super Fab Ultimate Wedding Checklist.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

 

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