Tag: Interlude Press

Coffee Sip and Book Break with ‘Sweet’ by Alysia Constantine (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

Sweet 1600px COVER (RGB) - Front

Sweet by Alysia Constantine
 Release Date: February 4, 2016

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

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Alysia Constantine, author of (Sweet).  Hi, Alysia, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Can you share a little  something about your story with our readers?

  • Tell us about your book.

Sweet is a love story, and also a story about how we tell stories.  I think these two things are related—most of us grow up having heard all manner of fairy tales and love stories, and we build expectations as a result of that, and our real lives don’t quite measure up.  Especially for those of us who are gay—we’re under a lot of pressure to be romantic and fall in fairy-tale love, or else be accused of fulfilling the stereotype about promiscuous gays.  On the surface, Sweet is the story of how two men—Jules, a baker mourning the loss of his husband Andy, and Teddy, a frustrated accountant—meet, how they court through pastry and shared pleasure, and how they fall in love.  But it’s also the story of what we expect from a love story, and from our own lives.  I might call it a self-conscious love story.

  • How difficult was it to get into the main character’s head?

In this story, the chapters shift between being close in POV to Teddy and close to Jules, but the main character is actually the third-person narrator, who occasionally interjects into the narrative to remind us that s/he is telling a story, that everything is an invention.  (To me, much as I hope people get caught up in the story, Sweet is about stories themselves, about narratives, and about how we invest in them.  Most of us get told throughout our childhood—no, throughout our entire lives—called something like “The Natural Inevitability and Superiority of Straightness,” and it’s a narrative in which we come to believe, unless something goes “wrong.” (That’s Freud’s idea, thank you Siggie.))  In my mind, that narrator is actually the main character.  The voice is half Cynical Omniscient and half Fairy Tale Believer, and I think it’s a voice very natural to me, very close to my own.  And, I would wager, a pretty common tone for those of us who’ve grown up gay or queer in a culture that’s generally hostile to anybody who’s not straight.  You get used to living as a pess/optimist: you’re prepared for the worst while hoping for the best.

  • Is this book a standalone or do you plan on visiting it again?

As I see it now, it’s a standalone.  The novel I’m working on next involves circus performers… a very different world!  I’m interested now in thinking about margins and outsiders—the circus really allows for that.  Sweet is about pleasure, to me.  I think I’ve written what asked to be written there.

  • Why did you choose to write M/M stories?

I don’t exclusively write M/M stories—the novel I’m writing now is about women in the circus.  But I am interested in gay/queer stories, and those are the stories I’m more inclined to tell, because those are the stories that are so often silenced now, or are missing from the past, and those are the stories I wished were taught in my English class as a miserable gay teen in the midwest.  Sweet was just naturally a story about two men falling in love—I don’t think the characters could have been anyone other than who they are.  I also felt a bit resistant to putting lesbians on display in a novel, making their lives a thing for consumption (women are always put up for view, lesbians most especially—it seems like men are much more rarely made the object of everyone’s gaze), but I’m past that now.  Not to say it isn’t a very valid critique, but I’m ready to write the stories I wished were there—about queers, no matter the gender.  And I think I’ve found a home for a story about lesbians that isn’t a salacious or voyeuristic home.  Interlude Press has, more than I can say, affected me so deeply—I wish it had been around when I was growing up.

  • Where do you find your inspiration?

For Sweet, I was inspired both by my past as a baker/pastry chef and by thinking about how and why we tell stories, and how powerful it can be to have a story that reflects some part of you.  I was inspired by the narrator’s voice, when it started speaking in my head, because it felt vital to me.  More than just a love story, this was answering back to all the love stories I’d ever read.  I was also inspired by all the good food I’ve eaten, and some really good recipes.  I try to keep myself inspired that delicious way.  I live in NYC, which has so much good and interesting food… I’ve inspired myself a lot.

Blurb

Not every love story is a romance novel.

For Jules Burns, a lonely baker, it is the memory of his deceased husband, Andy. For Teddy Flores, a numbed-to-the-world accountant who accidentally stumbles into his bakery, it is a voyage of discovery into his deep connections to pleasure, to the world, and to his own heart.

Alysia Constantine’s Sweet is also the story of how we tell stories—of what we expect and need from a love story. The narrator is on to you, Reader, and wants to give you a love story that doesn’t always fit the bill. There are ghosts to exorcise, and jobs and money to worry about. Sweet is a love story, but it also reminds us that love is never quite what we expect, nor quite as blissfully easy as we hope.

 

Praise for ‘Sweet’ by Alysia Constantine from Publisher’s Weekly: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-941530-61-0

Pages or Words: 246 pages
 Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

“Speakerphone.”

“What?”

“Speakerphone. Put me on speaker so you can use your hands. You’re going to need both hands, and I won’t be held responsible for you mucking up your phone. Speaker.”

Teddy set his phone on the counter and switched to the speaker, then stood waiting.

“Hello?” Jules said. “Is this thing on?”

“Sorry,” Teddy said. “I’m still here.”

“It sounded like you’d suddenly disappeared. I was starting to believe in the rapture,” Jules said, and Teddy heard, again, the nervous chuckle.

Their conversation was awkward and full of strange pauses in which there was nothing right to say, and they focused mostly on how awkward and strange it was until Jules told Teddy to dump the almond paste on the counter and start to knead in the sugar.

“I’m doing it, too, along with you,” Jules said.

“I’m not sure whether that makes it more or less weird,” Teddy admitted, dusting everything in front of him with sugar.

“It’s just like giving a back rub,” Jules told him. “Roll gently into the dough with the heel of your hand, lean in with your upper body. Think loving things. Add a little sugar each time—watch for when it’s ready for more. Not too much at once.”

Several moments passed when all that held their connection was a string of huffed and effortful breaths and the soft thump of dough. Teddy felt Jules pressing and leaning forward into his work, felt the small sweat and ache that had begun to announce itself in Jules’s shoulders, felt it when he held his breath as he pushed and then exhaled in a rush as he flipped the dough, felt it all as surely as if Jules’s body were there next to him, as if he might reach to the side and, without glancing over, brush the sugar from Teddy’s forearm, a gesture which might have been, if real, if the result of many long hours spent in the kitchen together, sweet and familiar and unthinking.

“My grandmother and I used to make this,” Jules breathed after a long silence, “when I was little. Mine would always become flowers. She would always make hers into people.”

Teddy understood that he needn’t reply, that Jules was speaking to him, yes, but speaking more into the empty space in which he stood as a witness, talking a story into the evening around him, and he, Teddy, was lucky to be near, to listen in as the story spun itself out of Jules and into the open, open quiet.

When the dough was finished and Jules had interrupted himself to say, “There, mine’s pretty done. I bet yours is done by now, too,” Teddy nodded in agreement—and even though he knew Jules couldn’t see him, he was sure Jules would sense him nodding through some miniscule change in his breathing or the invisible tension between them slackening just the slightest bit. And he did seem to know, because Jules paused and made a satisfied noise that sounded as if all the spring-coiled readiness had slid from his body. “This taste,” Jules sighed, “is like Proust’s madeleine.”

They spent an hour playing with the dough and molding it into shapes they wouldn’t reveal to each other. Teddy felt childish and happy and inept and far too adult all at once as he listened to the rhythmic way Jules breathed and spoke, the way his voice moved in and out of silence, like the advance and retreat of shallow waves that left in their wake little broken treasures on the shore.

Only his fingers moved, fumbling and busy and blind as he listened, his whole self waiting for Jules to tell him the next thing, whatever it might be.

Buy the book:

Meet the author:

Alysia Constantine lives in Brooklyn with her wife, their two dogs, and a cat. When she is not writing, she is a professor at an art college. Before that, she was a baker and cook for a caterer, and before that, she was a poet.

Sweet is her first novel.

Where to find the author:

 


RainBannerTemplateTour Dates & Stops:

4-Feb

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Book Lovers 4Ever, Hearts on Fire

5-Feb

A.M. Leibowitz, Love Bytes, Bayou Book Junkie

8-Feb

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews

9-Feb

Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Kirsty Loves Books, Just Love Romance

10-Feb

Happily Ever Chapter, My Fiction Nook, Havan Fellows

11-Feb

V’s Reads, Kiki’s Kinky Picks, Lee Brazil, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

12-Feb

Jessie G. Books, 3 Chicks After Dark, Book Reviews and More by Kathy

15-Feb

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Three Books Over the Rainbow, BFD Book Blog

16-Feb

Dawn’s Reading Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads

17-Feb

Prism Book Alliance, Up All Night, Read All Day, Molly Lolly, Alpha Book Club

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Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press gift card to one winner, e-copies of ‘Sweet’ to five additional winners.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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In the Contemporary Spotlight: Jude Sierra’s ‘What It Takes’ (author interview, excerpt and contest)

What It Takes 1600px COVER (RGB) - Front

What It Takes by Jude Sierra
 Release Date: January 14, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Art: Nelli I, Cover Design: C.B. Messer

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Jude Sierra, author of What it Takes. Hi Jude thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

  • Tell us something about your character’s friends. They’ve grown up in a small town, so they have a small group of friends that Andrew keeps in touch with as an adult – that Milo reconnects with when he comes back home. Ted is a fun guy. He’s kind of the class clown but in an irreverent ways. Their other friend Sarah is a steady, down to earth girl. She’s a good friend who is honest and direct and also a really steady presence in their lives.
  • What is your character’s favorite meal? Favorite dessert? Favorite snack food? Milo has a soft spot for baked goods, particularly any made by Andrew’s mother. He loves snickerdoodles and macaroons. Andrew loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Even as an adult, they are his go-to food. He takes some ribbing for it, but nothing can come between him and his lifelong love of a good old-fashioned sandwich.
  • What activity does your character absolutely hate? Andrew isn’t a huge fan of exercise for the sake of exercise, particularly things like running or biking. He likes being outside in nature, but at a slower pace.
  • What other author’s book do you think your character would be good in? Selfishly, I wouldn’t mind seeing them in Courtney Lux’s Small Wonders. Although I think as kids, their particular dance might leave Trip eyerolling hard core and perhaps not biting his tongue.
  • What’s your favorite decade and why? Well I’m a fan of the 80’s, but that’s because I was born in the 80’s which gives that decade a leg up automatically. I kid. I think that nostalgia can make decades we weren’t alive for seem awesome but the realities are more complex than that, which makes me want to name a decade I know, which limits my answer. I have to say that the late 90’s were brilliant though. Pop culture wise, you had Friends, the X-Files, the rise of boybands and some great alternative rock as well. Lots of great books – including the first half of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Good stuff.

Blurb

The connection was instantaneous.

Mere moments after Milo Graham’s family relocates to Cape Cod, he meets Andrew Witherell—launching a lifelong friendship built on a foundation of deep bonds, secret forts, and plans for the future. When Milo is called home from college to attend his domineering father’s funeral, he and Andrew finally act on their mutual attraction. But doubtful of his worth, Milo severs all ties with his childhood friend. Years later, the men find themselves home again, and their long-held feelings will not be denied. But will they have what it takes to find lasting love?

 

Pages or Words: 274 pages
 Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Excerpt

Andrew gladly lets Milo drive his car; he hates driving, especially when he can play radio DJ and watch the scenery go by. He looks at Milo: the way the fading light before dusk changes the tone of his skin; the way the muscles of his arms stand out and his lips curl as he sings along, awfully, to the radio. Milo smiles at him and Andrew flashes a brief one back, wonders how obvious he’s being, and looks back out the window at the slipping sand that spills onto the road and the ramshackle businesses along the road.

“So what got this bee in your bonnet?” he asks suddenly.

Milo shrugs. “You sound like my grandma.”

“Awesome; I like her. Let’s focus.”

“So… okay.” Milo clears his throat and his fingers tighten on the wheel. “I um, think I have something to tell you. But I’m—”

“Is everything okay?” Andrew interrupts, scanning his memory for any signs of additional distress Milo might have displayed in the last few months.

“Yeah. Well. I mean, um… whatever. But I—”

“What? You’re worrying me.”

Milo sighs and pulls into the parking lot of a restaurant with a giant crab on the roof. “I can’t do this and drive.”

“Okay,” Andrew says slowly, then unbuckles his belt and turns to face him. Milo’s face is a little drawn.

“So, I think I might be gay,” Milo blurts. “I mean, I know. I know I am.”

There’s a full minute of silence in the car while Andrew tries to work the words out. Static screeches in his ears, fleetingly numbing his reaction. Focus. He has a few seconds to control his face, to tamp down that sprout of irrational hope seeding despite the chaos, and be ultimately supportive.

“Um.” Andrew licks his lips and tries to pull himself together. That seedling wants to grow into something bigger, and he can’t let it. He looks at Milo’s face, which has morphed into something more vulnerable and worried. Hope is a hollow bell in his chest, ringing loud and dissonant; he wants to vibrate out of his skin with the inappropriateness of his own reactions. This is about Milo, not him. “You aren’t worried that I’m mad or something, are you?” he manages to say.

“I don’t know. Um, your face is doing… a thing,” Milo replies.

Reflexively Andrew puts his hands to his cheeks. His fingers are cold. Okay, so he definitely doesn’t have his face under control. “No, I… wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” Andrew’s brain, sometimes faster than his mouth, is careening backward. “Maybe I should have had a clue.”

“Oh?”

“Well, for starters, you kissed me back.”

Buy the book:

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Meet the author:

Jude Sierra began her writing career at the age of eight when she immortalized her summer vacation with ten entries in a row that read “pool+tv.” She first began writing poetry as a child in her home country of Brazil, and is still a student of the form.

As a sucker for happy endings and well-written emotional arcs and characters, Jude is an unapologetic bookaholic. She finds bookstores and libraries unbearably sexy and, to her husband’s dismay, is attempting to create her own in their living room. She is a writer of many things that hope to find their way out of the sanctuary of her hard drive and many that have found a home in the fanfiction community.

She is currently working on her Master of Arts in Writing and Rhetoric and managing a home filled with her husband, two young sons, and two cats. Her first novel, Hush, was published in 2015 by Interlude Press.

Where to find the author:

What It Takes will be published by Interlude Press on January 14, 2016. Connect with author Jude Sierra at JudeSierra.com, on Twitter @JudeSierra, on Goodreads at goodreads.com/Jude_Sierra, and on Facebook at facebook.com/JudeMSierra.

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

14-Jan: Book Lovers 4Ever, Lee Brazil, Inked Rainbow Reads

15-Jan: Havan Fellows, Love Bytes, Hearts on Fire

18-Jan: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, A.M. Leibowitz

19-Jan: Velvet Panic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

20-Jan: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, The Novel Approach, Kirsty Loves Books

21-Jan: Molly Lolly, MM Good Book Reviews

22-Jan: BFD Book Blog, Happily Ever Chapter

25-Jan: Nautical Star Books, My Fiction Nook

26-Jan: Emotion In Motion, Bayou Book Junkie

27-Jan: Full Moon Dreaming, Alpha Book Club, QUEERcentric Books

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press web store gift card + WIT ebook; plus__5 eBook editions of WIT.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Best of 2015 Review: A Mika Review: Definitely Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars  ★★★★★

Definitely Maybe Yours coverSeattle-based baker Craig Oliver leads a life that is happily routine: baking cupcakes for an enormous family reunion, managing Sucre Coeur for its frequently absent owner, and closing out his day with a pint at the local pub. He has a kind heart, a knack for pastry, and a weakness for damaged people.

Habitual playboy Alex Scheff is looking to drown his sorrows, but instead discovers that he may have a weakness for Englishmen who carry cookies in their pockets. Can a seemingly incompatible pair find the recipe for love in a relationship they claim is casual?

*Le Sigh*

Craig Oliver is amazing. Everything about him is amazing, from his English mannerisms, to his simplistic views, even his ability to bake with alcohol when his heart gets shattered is amazing. I really love this character.

I’ve never read anything by this author before, and it was the black guy on the cover which sold me. It was also the character of Craig. I love that he was an English born and bred and living in the States. I didn’t know what to expect from this. I admit, while reading this, there were some cringe worthy moments on how things were written, point of view changes, and the general tone in the first 40%. Certain things bothered me, I got disappointed. I didn’t like the secondary characters having a point of view in the story. I strictly wanted Craig and Alex. Plus it felt a bit disjointed, and sort of choppy when switching point of views as well. All of those were big no no’s in my book.

But nothing could deter me from the story itself. It’s two guys who did not want to date, just be casual who instead realizes that they are in love but it’s not easy. While Craig is open, honest, and free; Alex is the complete opposite. It’s like pulling teeth with him. The first morning after was difficult.

I loved the meeting of them. I mean who brings out a baked good at a bar? It was completely innocent, original and real sweet moment. I like that my heart fell for Craig at that moment. Being in both of these guys heads was an amazing  experience. Craig was just being with Alex and it was sweet. I can’t get over how good of a character Lissa Reed was able to write, Alex was angsty. He had his reservations but with good cause. Throughout most of the book he did not want to talk of his ex. I kept thinking what happened? Unfortunately he never got to explain to Craig one on one before it blew up in his face. Here’s where I really fell in love. Their breakup. Yes I know it sounds callous, but they each had to realize what happened, how it happened, and what the other means to each other. Jeez that moment where strong Craig finally cracks in front of his friends had me in tears, and then closed off Alex breaks down to a 9 month old Kira and I couldn’t stop crying. It was sweet. Dude, then Craig brought this cute Yorkie name Fitz, by that point I was a total goober, because Craig gave the most beautiful reasons why he loves Alex. I’m giving this 5 stars because I loved Craig and Alex relationship, it wasn’t easy and it’s definitely how a relationship goes. I’m not doing it for the writing, or choppy sentences, or the instant point of view changes. I’m doing it for the romantic in me.  I want to see more of them. Maybe a year down the line, when Alex is Alex again, and is learning to love himself.

 Cover Art by Buckeyegrrl Design. The cover is the reason why I wanted to read it. I think he’s gorgeous, he looks exactly like Craig is described. Maybe a little younger than he’s supposed to be, but I still like it.

Sales Links:  Interlude Press | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Paperback, 296 pages
Expected publication: August 11th 2015 by Interlude Press
ISBN13 9781941530405
edition language English

Coffee Sip and Book Break: Broken Record by Lilah Suzanne (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

Broken Records 1600px COVER (RGB) - Front

Broken Records (Spotlight #1) by Lilah Suzanne
Release Date: December 17, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Victoria S. with CB Messer

Today Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to be interviewing Lilah Suzanne, author of Broken Records. Hi, Lilah, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Share a little about yourself, your background, and your current book with our readers.

  • What are your ambitions for your writing career?  I’d like to have a large catalogue of work. I don’t need a bestseller, I’d be content with a long, steady career. (Not that I would be sad at a bestseller, mind you!)
  • How many published books do you have? Can you tell us something about them? This is my third published romance book. The first is Pivot and Slip, a novella about a boxer and a former-swimmer/current yoga instructor who fall for each other. The second, Spice, is about a relationship and sex advice columnist who has trouble with taking his own advice, until he meets a cute IT specialist who fixes up him and his computer.
  • Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? Nico is shrewd and cool, and focused on his career, not his personal life. It was interesting for me to not write a character who is a hopeless romantic for once, as my other main characters have been, and instead someone who is really out of his depth with these very strong feelings he’s having for Grady.
  • What are you working on at the moment? What’s it about? Broken Records is the first in a series, so I’m working on the second book in that series right now. It’s called Burning Tracks and focuses on Nico’s assistant Gwen, and of course we get to see what Nico and Grady are up to as well.
  • Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day? I aim for at least a chapter, maybe two, so however many words or pages it needs to be is what I’m hoping for. But some days real life takes over, or I just need time to steep on something. I’m not a “write everyday or else” type, but I do try to sit down and do something, even if it’s just stewing over a spot I’m stuck on.

Thank you, Lilah, that was wonderful, and now more about Broken Records, the first in a new series.

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Blurb:

Los Angeles-based stylist Nico Takahashi loves his job—or at least, he used to. Feeling fed up and exhausted from the cutthroat, gossip-fueled business of Hollywood, Nico daydreams about packing it all in and leaving for good. So when Grady Dawson—sexy country music star and rumored playboy—asks Nico to style him, Nico is reluctant. But after styling a career-changing photo-shoot, Nico follows Grady to Nashville where he finds it increasingly difficult to resist Grady’s charms. Can Nico make peace with show business and all its trappings, or will Grady’s public persona get in the way of their private attraction to each other?

 

Pages or Words: 280 pages
 Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

Grady presses his lips flat, looks up at the ceiling again to gather himself, sniffs and nods, then tugs Nico’s foot closer by his ankle. “Do you think… If we’d met at a bar. Or through a friend of a friend. Or the gym.” Grady’s thumb strokes the tender skin of Nico’s calf beneath the hem of his pants. “If we had just been two regular guys? We really could have been something.”

There’s a question in his voice, a hesitancy that maybe Nico would have rejected him eventually anyway. Nico scoots across the cramped bunk, crowds against Grady, shoulder to shoulder. “Well, we never would have met at the gym because I would have taken one look at you and gone home to mourn the body I’ll never have by consuming gallons of ice cream.”

Grady bumps his shoulder. “Shut up, you’re gorgeous.” He tips his head against the wall and grins. “If I’d first seen you at a bar I probably would have humiliated myself by trying to win you over with bad karaoke and shameless flirting.”

Nico’s eyebrows raise. “You mean to tell me you’ve been holding back on me? You have a level of flirting that’s even more shameless?”

“Oh yeah. You ain’t seen nothin’, sweetheart.”

“That is truly terrifying.”

Grady laughs, bright and uninhibited. Nico is so relieved to hear it, a moment of light in the darkness. Grady’s hand rests on Nico’s knee, Nico watches his own hand brush his fingers there, but he doesn’t linger.

“We aren’t, though. Just two random guys.”

Grady’s fingers flex, curving over his kneecap. “No.”

Nico exhales harshly. “I have never wanted to be a groupie so badly.”

Grady shoves at his leg. “Come on, you didn’t really think that I would do that to you—”

“In my weaker, more insecure moments?” Nico scrunches his face, embarrassed. “Yeah, I did.”

“You think that little of me, huh?” He says it with a teasing grin, but Nico’s heart sinks.

“No, Grady. I think you’re…” A million adjectives flash through his head: beautiful, amazing, stunning, compassionate, kind, generous. A supernova. He settles on, “Really special.”

Grady gives a skeptical lift of his eyebrows. “Uh oh. I’m really special, huh?”

“I’m so, so into you and it’s…” He cringes at the words but it’s true, “It’s not you, it’s me.”

“Oh lord.” Grady laments with a laugh. “Not that, please.”

“I’m the guy on the sidelines. I’m the one who makes everyone else shine. I don’t belong there, in the spotlight. I like that at the end of the day I can go home and just walk away from the cameras and the red carpets and the scrutiny. And you—you’re a star. And you can have anyone.”

Grady turns, the cramped space of the bunk making his limbs bump and nudge and curl around Nico’s body. During Grady’s shows, in the moment just before he starts singing the opening line of “Broken Records,” there’s this pause, this moment suspended in the air when the audience is silent and waiting and doesn’t even dare to inhale because in that moment, Grady’s soul is laid bare. He looks at Nico just like that and Nico can’t breathe around it.

“I don’t want anyone,” he says, voice low and serious. “I want you. How do you not get that?”

Buy the book: Links coming on release day

 

 

 

Meet the author:

Lilah Suzanne has been writing actively since the sixth grade, when a literary magazine published her essay about an uncle who lost his life to AIDS. A freelance writer, she has also authored a children’s book and has a devoted following in the fan fiction community. She is also the author of Interlude Press books Spice and Pivot and Slip. Broken Records is Book One in Lilah’s Spotlight Series.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: Facebook.com/lilahsuzanne

Twitter: @lilahsuzanne

 

 

Tour Dates & Stops:

17-Dec: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Hearts on Fire, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Velvet Panic, Michael Mandrake, Mikky’s World of Books

18-Dec: My Fiction Nook, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, All I Want and More Books, Nautical Star Books, Havan Fellows

21-Dec: Prism Book Alliance, It’s Raining Men, V’s Reads, Bayou Book Junkie

22-Dec: Books A to Z, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Cathy Brockman Romances, MM Good Book Reviews

23-Dec: Unquietly Me, Sassygirl Books, The Day Before You Came

24-Dec: Love Bytes, Lee Brazil, Happily Ever Chapter

25-Dec: Divine Magazine, Inked Rainbow Reads

28-Dec: QUEERcentric Books, Alpha Book Club, TTC Books and More

29-Dec: BFD Book Blog, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, : Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

30-Dec: Jessie G. Books, Molly Lolly, Just Love Romance, Moonbeams Over Atlanta

Final

 

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press Web Store Gift card plus five multi-format eBooks to runners-up.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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A BJ Review: Something Like a Love Song by Becca Burton

Rating:  4.25 stars out of 5

Something Like A Love SongOne 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. Can their one constant—their love—survive the changes both undergo on the road to recovery?

Given the premise, I knew right off that this was going to be an extremely emotional story, and I wasn’t wrong. But it was also a very fast read despite being over three hundred pages. I enjoyed the author’s writing style—it’s easy to read and flowed well for me. It never once made me question what was going on or stop to think or re-read a passage.

The two main characters, Dylan and Landon, were nuanced and well-drawn, and each of the secondary characters added to the story in their own unique way. The multiple points of view was a bit strange, but in this case I think it really did add to the story to allow us to see not only how the incident and its aftermath affected many people other than just the main characters. Those small insights into what was going on with them also gave us a chance to see the main characters through outside eyes, which I found equally enlightening and enjoyable.   

It’s obvious that this author has a medical background as she took us through the process from the accident and initial trauma to recovery. Watching these guys struggle with pain, guilt, and the frustration and trials of rehabilitation was heartbreaking. It was also an uplifting testament to how love can overcome. Unlike many books that deal with hate crimes, there was basically no focus on finding the perpetrators. And after a bit of thought, I found that I actually liked that.

This story had a ton of emotion and feels, it took me from tears to laughter several times as we are shown episodes from before the incident. But it didn’t have much sex at all, and for I think it would have put it up into the five star story if I’d been able to see more of the couple’s physical relationship returning to normal. We’re only given tiny glimpses and a verbal promise, and must admit that left me wanting.

I don’t normally like when stories jump around in time, but this was an exception. The author did an excellent job of painting Landon’s old character through flashbacks and showing how his new self differed slightly even later after his recovery.  So many insights can be taken away from this book, one big one that stood out for me is how the things that happen to us can change us irrevocably, make us not into different people, as we are always one self, but into a new version of ourselves. To be happy, we must embrace, accept and love ourselves in the now and avoid the tendency to compare ourselves to either our past selves or to others. And I think that’s something we can all related to, because we all go through change in our life, sometimes it’s due to happy events, sometimes trauma, and sometimes simply aging.

Overall, this story left me feeling warm and hopeful. I highly recommend it.

I adore creative drawn covers, and this one is definitely that. It caught my attention and fits the story well.

Sales Links:  Interlude Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:  

Kindle Edition, 308 pages
Published November 19th 2015 by Interlude Press
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edition languageEnglish

Coffee Sip and Book Break with Bitter Springs by Laura Stone (author and character interview, excerpt and contest)

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Bitter Springs by Laura Stone
 Release Date: December 3, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Collen M. Good

Today we’re happy to be interviewing Laura Stone,  author of BITTER SPRINGS, here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. Hi Laura, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book. I see you also brought along a character to interview. Welcome, Hank!

Oh my goodness, thanks for having me! I’m a single mother of three, and with the older two off to college, I have a bit more breathing room to write. BITTER SPRINGS is both my attempt to tackle a challenge—I’d never been invested in Western literature, honestly—and to write a love-letter to my home state, Texas. I’m a desert gal at heart, and nothing makes me happier than being out in the dry lonesome prairie or desert for days on end. It’s so fantastic.

And here is Hank to answer some questions as well:

Hank, what do you find attractive in a man?
How much print space can I have? Lord, but I love men. First and foremost, give me a kind man. I’m pretty tired of giving rude, hateful, arrogant men a pass by claiming they’re “complicated”. Nope, they’re self-absorbed. Take it from me, any younguns reading along: You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats an animal or someone who works for him. Family should mean something. Creatures in your care should be treated with respect. If a man can’t do that, then I don’t think he’s much of anything, especially a man. You didn’t hear this from me, but hair you can tug on is pretty nice, too.

The first thing that went through your head when you saw Renaldo?
“Well, that doesn’t look like the runt of the litter.”

Do you think you’ll insist the author visits you again?
I don’t believe too much on insisting, but I’ll just say she’s barely scratched the surface.

Before you met Renaldo, what was your ideal man?
A family man. One who wasn’t afraid of working hard and who could appreciate the value in it. A man who could understand when it was time to be quiet, and maybe when they needed to draw me out of my head a little. I like a man with a passion for living, one who understands how you can’t take anything for granted. Life’s too precious for that.

You’re going out for dinner. What’s your favorite food?
Not too many opportunities for eating beyond Vista Verde, so I better just say anything Señora Valle Santos is cooking. That woman can work magic. Pretty fortunate that she likes cooking for me, I suppose, because Lord know I like eating it.

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In 1870s Texas, Renaldo Valle Santos, the youngest son of a large and traditional family, has been sent to train with Henry “Hank” Burnett, a freed slave and talented mesteñero—or horse- catcher—so he may continue the family horse trade. Bitter Springs is a sweeping epic that takes themes from traditional Mexican literature and Old Westerns to tell the story of a man coming into his own and realizing his destiny lies in the wild open spaces with the man who loves him, far from expectations of society.

 

Pages or Words: 302 pages
 Categories: Fiction, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Romance, Western/Cowboy

Excerpt

The day before the wedding, a visitor arrived at Vista Verde an entire week early. Renaldo, ready to wash up and eat dinner after a long, hard day—his side ached from roping cattle as a part of Paloma’s training, his hands were full of bits of raw hemp from the stock lassos, and one of the calves had kicked him high on the thigh—walked back from the barn using his hat to slap at the dust on his chest and thighs. He noticed a tall, striking young black man standing at the door to their home speaking with their father. They didn’t see many black men this far from civilization—with the Civil War ending so recently, many were staying close to where they’d been forced to live, were heading far out west where there were more opportunities to make a new life or were going north seeking less hostile society. Who he could be?

He was about as tall as Renaldo, maybe an inch or two more, broad-shouldered and whip-thin, dressed in well-worn, simple clothes. He had a close-cropped beard, but instead of hiding the shape of his jaw, it accented its sharpness. His light eyes, almost luminescent even at this distance and glowing like amber, were ringed with thick lashes, nearly to the point of being girlish, but there was nothing feminine about the man. With his lean but strong-looking chest, muscular arms and curved backside, he managed to carry himself with a confident air while standing idly; his body was still, but in a way that made Renaldo think of a raptor sitting on an abutment, watching and waiting.

“Oh, here he is,” Estebán said, motioning for Renaldo to join them, saying, “Señor Burnett, allow me to introduce to you my son, Renaldo.”

This? This was the legendary mesteñero, Henry Burnett? He couldn’t be much older than Renaldo, who realized his jaw had dropped. He closed his mouth quickly and moved toward them as if drawn like metal shavings to a magnet.

Burnett, however, looked amused, as the edge of his mouth quirked up. “Pleased to meet you,” he said, his voice deep and husky.

Renaldo couldn’t look away, shocked that his expectations couldn’t have been more wrong. This was a vibrant young man. But… this was the man he would be alone with on the prairie for months? His stomach twisted at that thought, and at how unexpected it all was, causing his heart to race and face flush. Yes, it was unexpected. That Burnett had come so much sooner than they’d expected had to be why Renaldo couldn’t find his voice and felt so upended.

“Mijo,” his father said sharply.

Renaldo shook himself slightly, and then nodded, saying, “Señor Burnett, it’s very good to meet you, finally. Please forgive my shock, as I don’t believe we expected you so soon.”

Burnett laughed, a rolling, melodious sound, and replied, “Well, then just imagine my shock when I come here all the way from Nacogdoches expecting one Valle man, only to find him gone and you in his place.” He smiled. “Your padre seems to think you’re a better match, so that works for me.”

That smile, bright teeth framed by full lips, eyes crinkled at the corners, helped lessen some of Renaldo’s shock and, if he was being honest, some of the worry that he carried about spending a lot of time with a hard, taciturn man Renaldo knew he would be unable to please. At the realization that this was who he would be with on the plains, just the two of them with no one else for weeks on end, Renaldo became excited, finally looking forward to this task. A young man with an infectious grin wouldn’t be such a chore to be stuck with after all.

Buy the book:

Meet the author:

Laura Stone is a born and bred Texan, but don’t hold that against her. She’s a former comedian, actress and Master Gardener, and currently keeps busy as a media blogger, ghostwriter and novelist when not busy raising her three children. They’re not fully raised, but then, neither is she.

She lives in Texas as proof that it’s not completely populated by hard-line right-wingers. And because that’s where the good tamales are. Her first novel, The Bones of You, was published by Interlude Press in 2014 and was named a finalist for two Foreword Reviews IndieFab Book of the Year Award. Laura Stone at Laura-Stone.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/9LauraStone

Where to find the author:

Facebook: facebook.com/9LauraStone

Twitter: @stoneyboboney

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Tour Dates & Stops:

3-Dec: MM Good Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Velvet Panic, It’s Raining Men, Hearts on Fire

4-Dec: Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Gay Book Reviews, Divine Magazine

7-Dec: Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Unquietly Me, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Bayou Book Junkie

8-Dec: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, My Fiction Nook

9-Dec: Elin Gregory, TTC Books and More

10-Dec: Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Michael Mandrake, Love Bytes

11-Dec: Inked Rainbow Reads, Jessie G. Books

14-Dec: Dawn’s Reading Nook, QUEERcentric Books, Happily Ever Chapter

15-Dec: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Emotion in Motion

16-Dec: BFD Book Blog, Prism Book Alliance

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize: $25 Interlude Press Gift Card, First Prize: One of five e-copies of ‘Bitter Springs’.  Must be 18 years of age or older.   Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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

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

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

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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

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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:

 


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

Final

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.

 

 

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

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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!

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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

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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.

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Final

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. 

 

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A Stella New Adult Review: Go Your Own Way by Zane Riley

Rating 4.5 stars out of 5

Go Your Own Way coverWill Osborne couldn’t wait to put the roller coaster ride of his public education behind him. Having suffered bullying and harassment since grade school, he planned a senior year that would be simple and quiet before going away to college and starting fresh. But when a reform school transfer student struts into his first class, Will realizes that the thrill ride has only just begun.

Lennox McAvoy is an avalanche. He’s crude, flirtatious, and the most insufferable, beautiful person Will’s ever met. From his ankle monitor to his dull smile, Lennox appears irredeemable. But when Will’s father falls seriously ill, Will discovers that there is more to Lennox than meets the eye.

Go Your Own Way is the new adult debut novel by the talented Zane Riley and another winner from the (new to me) Interlude Press. The book was nothing like I was expecting and really different from the usual NA (new adult) stories I read in the past. In three words, I loved it! I’m so happy when I discover new authors and I can’t believe this is Zane’s only book I have available right now.

Will and Lennox are two characters that will be in my heart for a bit. The author did an amazing work at describing them and making me like them so much. They are so cute together! I can assure you both are super interesting since the first lines, and when sparkles fly between them the fun is assured. Two boys apparently so different from each other but with lots in common.

Lennox seems a strong young man, steeled by the too hard past years. But it’s an act he absolutely needs to survive his life, made of a nasty motel room, of food stolen at the school cafeteria, of prejudices and attempts at his safety, of nights spent in the bathtub with a flashlight. He isn’t expecting someone like Will to happen to his shitty life and to get through his heart like this amazing young man does.

“I do like him,” Will confessed. “But I can’t stand him, too. It’s… complicated. I don’t want to just date for a few weeks. I don’t—I want something that’s real.”

“Why can’t a short relationship be real?” Roxanne asked. “I mean, Romeo and Juliet—”

“Were two insane, dopey teenagers whose infatuation killed a half a dozen people,” Will said. “I want maturity. Commitment. Someone to talk to about everything.”

“Sounds like a therapist to me”

Will is been bullied all his life. He can’t wait to finish his last year of high school to fly out of the strict town he’s born in. He has a beautiful stepmother and a great dad, both funny and so supportive. He always dreamed about his first love and his idea is nothing as Lennox, cheeky and rude. But Lennox, who is the biggest annoying person in Will’s world, becomes his greater distractions and helper in the hardest and hurtful event in his life so far. Lennox becomes a comfort, because he understands what Will is going through. There is still ice and fire between them but that’s exactly what makes their relationships so beautiful.

The writing is light and funny but deep and emotional too. The author uses a double point of view, perfect to make more real and detectable the MCs’ minds and feelings, especially in the hilarious dialogues, full of banters, jokes and the MCs’ smart mouths that make Go Your Own Way an engaging “enemies to lovers” book.

I gave this book only 4,5 stars cause the ending was too abrupt and it needs a sequel, there are so many things I still have to know and see, especially about Lennox. Still this is a highly recommended story.

Cover design by Buckeyegrrl Designs. The cover depicts a specific scene in the book, the first time they kiss against a chalkboard. It is really awesome and the backcover is even better. Really well done.

Sales Links:  Interlude Press | Smashwords | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 326 pages
Published May 5th 2015 by Interlude Press
ASIN B00WOP7OGM
Edition Language English

A Stella YA Review: The Rules of Ever After by Killian B. Brewer

Rating 4,5 stars out of 5

The Rules of Ever After coverThe rules of royal life have governed the kingdoms of Clarameer for thousands of years, but Prince Phillip and Prince Daniel know that these rules don’t provide for the happily ever after they seek. A fateful, sleepless night on top of a pea set under twenty mattresses brings the two young men together and sends them on a quest out into the kingdoms.

On their travels, they encounter meddlesome fairies, an ambitious stepmother, disgruntled princesses and vengeful kings as they learn about life, love, friendship, and family. Most of all, the two young men must learn to know themselves and how to write their own rules of ever after.

The Rules of Ever After is the debut novel from Duet Books, an imprint for Young Adult LGBTQ fiction from Interlude Press.

I usually don’t read young adult books, but lately I found myself intrigued by all the covers of a new publisher called Interlude Press. There imprint for YA stories and I was really curious about The Rules of Ever After.  I was interested by the blurb but the book was not what I was expecting, it was so much more. Not only a YA but a fairytale, just what I was in the mood for. So here I am. Moreover it is the debut novel by this new author, Killian B. Brewer. Surprisingly perfect! Well written, engaging, funny, amazing!

The Rules of Ever After tells the story of Prince Phillip and Prince David and their adventures all around the kingdoms of Clamareer, looking for an evil stepmother and a cure for a curse.

My lovely main characters are surrounded by a lot of people, all of them interesting, funny and crazy too. Like Mitta and her fairy sisters, the main troublemakers with their magical wands. But they are just an example. The book is  continuous new meetings, of new little enterprises to reach all that will help Phillip and David to slowly know what is in front of them.

The book is really really well written, with a delicate and precious style, intelligent and full of humour. The author chose to use various point of views, not just the MCs’ ones and honestly it wasn’t confusing or too much at once.  On the contrary, I think it was the right way to develop the fairytale in the best way possible. Especially in the different references to our beloved bedtime (and not only) stories.

I want to recommend The Rules of Ever After by Killian B. Brewer cause it was an easy read, never boring and masterfully done, unexpectedly suggestive and poetic. I could see all of the adventures through Killian’s words. I can’t praise the author enough, I can’t wait to read more by him.

Cover designed by Buckeyegrrl Designs. It caught my attention from the start, cause it’s different. I like it!

Sales Links:  Interlude Press | All Romance | Amazon | Smashwords| Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 256 pages
Published June 9th 2015 by Duet
ASIN B00XCSNR84
Edition Language English