In Our Spotlight: Angora Shade’s ‘Cat Games’ book blast and contest

Cat Games ( Cat Games #1) by Angora Shade
Release Date: October 28, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Blurb

She was quiet—an introvert, a thinker. They called her Mouse. But beneath her veneer was a passionate hunger and desire for those around her, and a longing to act out fantasies she didn’t even know she had. After a brutal betrayal by her former lover, Mouse’s journey toward sexual fulfillment begins with a justified revenge led by Rayne—a dominant and more knowledgeable goddess—where Mouse experiences her first female sexual encounter and develops a taste for non-vanilla sex.

But just a taste of something new isn’t enough for Mouse. Longing for a more satisfying lifestyle and sexual education, Mouse engages in sexual exploits with Rayne and her openly sexual friends. With the absence of traditional relationship rules, Mouse falls into confusion, desperately trying to find a way to prove she is a capable woman worthy of Rayne’s attentions. Through Rayne’s patient guidance, Mouse is pushed to take charge of her sexuality and learn what it is she truly desires, allowing her to transform from a shy, timid creature to one with claws. Tables turn unexpectedly and suddenly the pupil becomes the teacher.

Pages or Words: 25,500 words
Categories: BDSM, Bisexual, Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Lesbian Romance, Ménage/Poly, New Adult, Romance

Excerpt

“Hey, Mouse!” I hear one of the girls call. I turn to look over my shoulder and see Chrystal holding the package of gummy bears I stashed in my pocket earlier. “You dropped something.”

“Woohoo!” Rayne howls, obnoxiously. “I’ve got an idea for a game.” She snatches the package from Crystal and sizes me up, almost eating me with her eyes.

“You read my mind,” Jasper quickly adds, licking his lips.

I have no idea what they’re thinking, but all the faces in the living room are looking me over and grinning in a wicked way. I feel exposed, on display, and very self-conscious. A heat begins to crawl up the back of my thighs, stir in my belly and catch in my chest. I’m suddenly thankful I’m not the type to blush. Standing up a bit straighter, I walk to the fridge, grab another six-pack, and return to my seat with as much confidence as the simple movements of my body will allow.

Rayne makes a yummy noise as she opens my package of sweets. “I just love gummy bears.” She pops one into her mouth with an overemphasized gesture, sucking a bit on the end before using the tip of her index finger to push the bottom the remainder of the way past her thick lips.
Jasper stands up and grabs Crystal by the hand. She trails willingly after him over to Rayne. Holding out his hand for the package she holds, I watch Rayne dump a few gummy bears into Jasper’s open hand.

“Best. Game. Ever,” Justin mutters from his seat on the couch in exaggerated staccato.

The whole room watches as Jasper pops the gummy bears into his mouth and begins peeling Crystal’s tight, white shirt over her head. Without any protest, Crystal raises her arms and slips out with an easy smile. Pulling a wet gummy bear out of his mouth, Jasper sticks it into the curve of Crystal’s neck, and then sticks a second securely upon her collarbone. To my surprise, the gummy bears are held fast, not slipping or sliding from the pull of gravity.

Rayne grins and stands from her chair. While trailing her fingers through the tight, red curls on the top of Crystal’s head, Rayne licks the back of a red gummy bear and sets it atop Crystal’s left shoulder. I watch Crystal shiver, and then I turn to look at Justin and Anna on the couch. They’re watching with deep interest. Grabbing two beers from the pack I set on the table, Justin opens them without taking his eyes from the scene, and hands one blindly to Anna.

I’m not sure what’s going on. I thought Justin and Crystal were together but another man—and Rayne—are undressing her in front of everyone. Why is Anna so into watching? They grabbed her attention with that kiss from earlier.

I clear my throat and blink several times as I try to take in what’s happening. Sugar’s great, and a nice pairing with beer, but I don’t understand why they’re sticking gummy bears to Crystal. If this is really a game, I wonder what the point is.

My mouth hangs open slightly as I watch Rayne expertly unhook Crystal’s bra and slide the white straps down over her shoulders, kissing her gently as she goes. I physically push my jaw shut as I rest my face uneasily in my hand, watching Jasper pull two more bears from his mouth. He gently squeezes Crystal’s small, naked breast, pushes his gummy bears to her skin, and audibly blows his breath over the top of them. Crystal giggles and looks over to me, where I’m unable to take my gaze away.

“Oh, Mouse,” she laughs. “Look at your face!”

I get it now. Wow.

Buy the book: Torquere Books

Meet the Author

Angora Shade is an American author living in what she lovingly refers to as “Sheep Shit Nowhere” Europe. In an attempt to add some spice to her small town life, Ms. Shade began writing explicit erotica as a form of self-entertainment. Exploring the boundaries of acceptable sexual literature, she often seeks to create stories that not only entertain others, but also expose and push against the negative stigma surrounding sex in modern day society. She believes that sex in literature, art, personal thought, and physical nature, should be celebrated and expressed openly and as easily as any God-given freedom. Her favorite themes in writing include revenge, self-discovery, alternative materials for love play/bdsm, as well as anything that produces a good tingle, sizzle, or laugh. When not writing, Ms Shade enjoys red wine, travel, dancing, classic cartoons, baking, and creating fine art.

Where to find the author:

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/angorashadeauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/angorashade
Author Webpage: www.angorashade.blogspot.com

Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, SA McAuley, The Hat Party, Jessie G. Books, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Havan Fellows, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, Molly Lolly, Charley Descoteaux, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Velvet Panic

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: eBook copy of ‘Cat Games’ by Angora Shade. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Coffee Sip and Book Break with Small Wonders by Courtney Lux

Small Wonders by Courtney Lux
Release Date: September 22, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Cover and Interior Illustrations by Elizabeth Vest

Sales Links: Interlude Press | Amazon | All Romance (ARe) | Kobo | Smashwords

Blurb

A pickpocket who finds value in things others do not want, Trip Morgan meets and becomes involved with Nate Mackey, a down-and-out former Wall Street professional who looks eerily like a child in a photograph Trip found years before.

It’s part of a collection of stolen trinkets he’s collected since he arrived in New York. He keeps it all close and works out a life he could have if he could ever let someone keep him long enough for him to build up a treasure trove of small wonders all his own.

In confronting their own demons and finding value in each other, Trip and Nate may find that their relationship is a wonder of its own.

Pages or Words: 282 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Excerpt

Today, he has encountered no southerners and only a few tourists from elsewhere, and he’d be okay with that if it weren’t for the rain. It comes fast. One minute it’s sunny and lovely and easy pickings, and the next the sky’s gone black and people are running from the park with street-vendor umbrellas popping open over their heads or shopping bags held up as makeshift shields. Trip switches to catchy pop numbers and more recent music, but it’s no use.
Some days this works. People take pity on a not-quite-twenty-something singing in the rain. Older women especially seem to take in the auburn hair stuck to his forehead and his relatively petite stature and read hungry young desperation in him. They offer him sympathetic smiles and a few soggy dollars.
Other times, playing in the rain has the opposite of his intended effect—strange boy with strange eyes playing his guitar as if he doesn’t know the rain is there. Those people see the darkness in him: a boy with a chip on his shoulder that makes them nervous. Those people give him wary looks and a wide berth. Trip’s not sure he blames them.
He’s a little put out and a lot cold, so he sells his umbrella for a few dollars before shouldering his guitar and closing the lid on his coffee can to set to work at his other favorite occupation.
He’d been a decent pickpocket in his younger years, but now, after a lot of practice, he’s a better thief and a good runner when he needs to be. Not that he steals anything of particular worth. He finds value in treasures scrounged from the bottoms of pockets.
Loose change, hair binders, halves of Vicodin, broken cigarettes, crumpled matchbooks. All of it has a purpose, a certain sense of importance. He envies women and their big purses. They’ve got whole bags of riches waiting to be exhumed. Though, more likely than not, those little trinkets will remain forgotten and neglected in the bottoms of Marc Jacobs clutches and Target sale hobo bags.
Other people don’t see it—the value in these things. Maybe that’s why he steals from them. Nothing they’d miss: a worn dollar here, a business card there. He keeps it all close and works out a life he could have if he could ever let someone keep him long enough for him to build up a treasure trove of small wonders all his own.
For now, he will live with worn shopping lists, broken crayons and ticket stubs he lifts off of others. He keeps them in a beaten-up bag that is more duct tape than canvas and lets them build up stardust. Then, in those lonely hours of the night, he scatters them across the floor and works them into constellations to which he assigns stories. Some he writes down; others, he forgets before the next day. It’s not a financially savvy task, but it’s his favorite, and it passes the time as well as anything else.

About The Author

Courtney Lux is a Minnesotan-turned-New Yorker whose love for the city is rivaled only by her love for wide, open spaces. She is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison and a soon-to-be graduate of New York University. When not playing writer, Courtney is an avid reader, constant dreamer, and lover of dogs, wine and being barefoot. Small Wonders is her first novel, and is the recipient of a Publishers Weekly starred review.

Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/CourtneyLLux
Twitter: @courtney_lux
Other: Courtney-lux.tumblr.com

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press gift card for one winner and five others receive a copy of ‘Small Wonders’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Tour Dates & Stops:
22-Sep The Novel Approach, My Fiction Nook, Prism Book Alliance, Hearts on Fire

23-Sep Butterfly-O-Meter, Bike Book Reviews, Mikky’s World of Books

24-Sep Kimi-Chan, Just Love Romance, Inked Rainbow Reads

25-Sep Divine Magazine, BFD Book Blog

28-Sep Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, V’s Reads, Bayou Book Junkie

29-Sep Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Happily Ever Chapter

30-Sep Velvet Panic, Love Bytes

1-Oct MM Good Book Reviews

2-Oct Molly Lolly, Amanda C. Stone

5-Oct Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Jessie G. Books

Supernatural Coffee Sip and Book Break with Wolf Creek by Nikko Lee (excerpt and giveaway)

Wolf Creek by Nikko Lee
Release Date: September 9, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Prizm Books
Cover Artist: BSClay

Buy the book: Torquere Books

Blurb

Being the Silverbane pack’s omega is killing Josh. His plans to escape are foiled when he is blackmailed into finding a new alpha capable of controlling the largest pack in New England before the Amazons cull it. Josh has no clue how he is going to accomplish this task, let alone stay out of the sights of his power-hungry cousin, Bryce, who is convinced he is the pack’s next alpha.

Josh befriends Andrea, an erratic Amazon trainee, who talks to the ghost of her dead mother and has her own agenda when it comes to the wolf pack. When he is rescued by Gavin, a handsome park ranger driven to live in the furthest reaches of civilization, Josh feels a pull toward him that is more than just physical attraction. The three develop a bond that is stronger than friendship and tested at every turn.

With the help of his new family, Josh must find the strength within him to save the Silverbane pack and defeat the evil that threatens to turn them into killers. Only then can he finally be free.

Pages or Words: 87,700 words
Categories: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Excerpt

“I don’t know about this.” Josh waited with Andrea outside the ranger station.
Gavin would be off duty in a few minutes. Andrea’s harebrained scheme was the only plan they had time for. Instead of slowly baiting Gavin into revealing his true nature, they were going to have to shock him into it, but Josh was starting to have doubts.
“What if he isn’t a werewolf?”
Andrea frowned.
“Okay, what if he is and he tries to kill me?”
“I’ll protect you,” Andrea said, but it didn’t give Josh much assurance.
“Have you ever won a fight against a werewolf?”
Andrea tore her shirt at the collar, then unbuttoned her jeans.
“Almost,” she said with a smile.
Josh didn’t have another second to protest. Andrea pulled him against her so suddenly that their lips collided and her teeth cut into his lips. Just as suddenly, she was pushing him away and screaming.
“No!” Andrea fought to get away from him without really letting go of him. She shook him back and forth. “You’re hurting me!”
Then, Josh was being hurled backwards.
“What the fuck is going on?” Gavin shouted.
Josh scrambled to his feet.
“I don’t know,” Andrea said through sobs. Blood smeared her lips and tears drenched her cheeks. “He said he wouldn’t share me, that I was his.”
As ridiculous as it sounded, Gavin looked utterly convinced that Josh had attacked Andrea. Gavin’s chest expanded from more than just heavy breathing. The fabric of his uniform strained against flexing muscles, but it was the wild look in his eyes that worried Josh. Gavin was on the verge of losing control. He actually looked like he could transform.
“Go inside,” Gavin said to Andrea, without taking his eyes off Josh. “I’ll deal with this bastard.”
Josh scrambled backwards as Gavin stalked toward him. The normally good-natured ranger was seething with rage. His soft brown eyes were hard and flinty.
“I told you to stay away from her.” He hauled Josh up by his collar and threw him against a tree.
Josh cowered against the tree trunk and waited for the inevitable beating. Gavin loomed over him, his breathing ragged, but no blows came. He seemed to be struggling within himself, his hands clawing at the tree bark and his eyes shut. Josh could see him regaining control over his anger. If he didn’t act soon, Gavin would calm himself enough that Josh would never know if he could save the pack.
“She’s mine,” Josh said. It was a timid challenge, but a challenge nonetheless. “I saw her first. I’m not going to give her up without a fight.”
He stripped off his shirt and tried to remember how Silverbane looked just before he transformed. At a foot shorter and fifty pounds lighter, Josh wouldn’t have been surprised if Gavin laughed at him. But Gavin was lost to his anger, taking off his shirt and backing away, ready to fight.
“Come on,” he said, and motioned for Josh to attack him. “Let’s settle this.”
The air was electric on Josh’s skin. He could feel the gravel shift under his feet. He smelled the forest behind him and the testosterone of the menacing male in front of him. For the first time in his life, he was going to have to fight to save those he cared about. Even if it meant getting hurt or dying, Josh had to bring out Gavin’s beast and test him as Elaine would.
He took a swing at Gavin, but Gavin had already moved to the side. A crushing pain in Josh’s ribs was followed by a blow that knocked him from his feet, and he scrambled to put space between them. There was no doubt that Gavin could best him in a fist fight. The only other person Josh had ever taken a swing at was Andrea, and she had dealt with him like he was no more than a child throwing a temper tantrum.
If he was going to challenge Gavin, Josh had to transform. He felt close to it. His muscles ached to expand. Inside his body, he felt the howl of the beast that cried to be set free but refused to break the invisible pack bond that held it in check. The full moon was so close. Even Elaine and Bryce looked ready to heed its call earlier. Why couldn’t Josh?
Gavin attacked, but it was Josh’s turn to evade. He might not be a fighter, but he was an expert in avoiding getting hurt. The more he evaded Gavin, the angrier Gavin got. His body was beginning the transformation. The seams of his pants split and the leather of his boots creaked under the force of expanding feet.
“Fight me.” Gavin’s voice was little more than a barely intelligible grunt. “Fight.”
As close as he was to transforming, something was holding him back. Maybe he didn’t have control over it.
Josh had seen teenage pack members experience their first transformations without a command from Silverbane. It was a struggle that could last hours. His own first time had come at Silverbane’s command. He’d been fourteen, older than most werewolves who transformed when they reached puberty, and even after he’d taken wolf form, he had cowered until Silverbane released him.
Gavin’s swings were faster and harder, but less coordinated. It was getting harder for Josh to predict where they’d come from and how to avoid them. Josh had only transformed a handful of times under Silverbane’s command. Now that his alpha was gone, he had to find out if Gavin was his new alpha.
“You want me to fight?” Josh said stepping out of the way of a wild haymaker.
“Yes, fight me now.”
The pull from Gavin was undeniable. Josh realized then that there was nothing he could refuse Gavin; not because he was infatuated with him, but because Gavin was his alpha. Josh would do whatever it took to satisfy him. Right now that meant having the strength to give him the fight he needed.

About the Author

Meet Nikko Lee:

The author is a scientific curator who enjoys writing genre fiction from erotica to horror under the pen name Nikko Lee. Born in Canada, she moved to Maine after completing a PhD in Zoology and her post-doctoral training. She resides near Bar Harbor with her husband, daughter, two cats and malamute. The author blogs about hiking, writing and science at http://www.nikkolee.com.

Where to find Nikko Lee:
Facebook: 88nikkolee88
Facebook Author Page
Twitter: @NikkoLee88
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nikko_lee88/

 Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Havan Fellows, Bayou Book Junkie, Decadent Delights, My Fiction Nook, MM Good Book Reviews, The Jena Wade, BFD Book Blog, Inked Rainbow Reads, SA McAuley, Mikky’s World of Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Three Books Over The Rainbow, V’s Reads, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Redz World, Nephylim, Happily Ever Chapter, The Hat Party

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of the book. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by Pride Promotions and the author.
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Box Set Bonanza! The Brazen Boys Series by Daryl Banner (Books 1-4) (excerpt and contest)

The Brazen Boys Series Box Set – Books 1-4 by Daryl Banner
Release Date: September 6, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Frozenfyre Publishing
Cover Artist: Daryl Banner (design) with Nick Duffy (model)

Buy the book: Amazon

Blurb(s)

Enjoy the first four books in the Brazen Boys series in this discounted box set collection. The Brazen Boys are standalone M/M romance novellas. They can be read in any order.
*** Contains: male/male sexuality, and adult language ***

INCLUDED IN THIS BRAZEN BOYS BOX SET:
#1 : “Dorm Game (The Brazen Boys)”
#2 : “On The Edge (The Brazen Boys)”
#3 : “Owned By The Freshman (The Brazen Boys)”
#4 : “Dog Tags (The Brazen Boys)”

DORM GAME (Book 1)

Andrew is the muscular dream boy from Intro to Psych. Michael is the lonely kid desperate for a new roommate. When a class project – and one very reckless decision – forces them together, an unstoppable game of teasing, torment, and pleasure begins. Michael will soon learn that Andrew’s sexual interests are far from ordinary …

ON THE EDGE (Book 2)

It is Derek’s birthday and there’s nothing he wants more than the mysterious, musclebound boy from the website who goes by the name Edge. When an accidental keystroke brings the dream boy to Derek’s house – in the flesh – Derek soon learns he’s in for a lot more than he would ever bargain for in a surprise birthday gift .
..
OWNED BY THE FRESHMAN (Book 3)

Thomas Kozlowski, the not-so-easily impressed acting professor, can’t get his hot new college freshman Justin Brady out of his head. Sexy bod, killer smile and a taste for taking charge, this cocky nineteen-year-old is Thom’s forbidden fantasy. The professor wants a lesson in getting owned, and the strapping young freshman is all too eager to give it.

DOG TAGS (Book 4)

Growing up, Jesse was lonely, bullied, and misunderstood. Brandon was the scary, messed-up boy next door. When Jesse hears that Brandon is home on leave from the military, he discovers his childhood neighbor’s Army training has turned him into a hard-bodied beast. Jesse can’t keep his eyes off of him. They are no longer children. They have different needs. The summer just became full of possibilities.

Pages or Words: 491 pages, approximately 77,600 words
Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Excerpt

Dorm Game (Book 1) excerpt:

His eyes narrow. Andrew looks so sexy when his eyes narrow. Especially wearing nothing but those loose, acid-washed jeans sagged just enough to show the black waistband of his boxers, the brand printed in giant green block letters across it. With a voice as hard and unforgiving as iron, he repeats the question patiently to me. He knows how deeply I’m breathing without even listening. I’d swear he even knows my heart rate, my thoughts. He knows the answer in my jagged sighs and can tell whether it’s reward or punishment I crave. His strong jaw working to produce the words of the question, I’m distracted by the beauty of this boy I’ve let into my life, this boy who drips sexuality. He sweats and I’m horny. He rubs a spot on his shoulder and I’m hard in an instant. I’ve wanted Andrew for so long and now I have him. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say, he has me. Fastened to a bed, at his total mercy, it’s pretty fucking clear I’m not going anywhere.

On The Edge (Book 2) excerpt:

I’m distracted so horribly when he raises his arms to throw open my cabinets, his shirt lifting up and giving me an intoxicating peek at his lower back, all the thick muscles curving and pointing and directing and flexing, leading their way toward the obvious piece of fucking Leonardo Da Vinci-caliber art that is his ass.

Owned By The Freshman (Book 3) excerpt:

He’s such a cocky fucker.
You know the type. He’s hot shit and he knows it. Overconfident. Strutting to class, he’s surrounded by his bros. His snug, hot shit clothes show off all the best parts of his body, which is perfectly proportionate and an obvious result of daily trips to the gym—or he’s got perfect genes, which is somehow just as likely. He kicks up his feet in my classroom, sporting his bright red-and-white high tops. Carefree and above it all, this tool. Even his hair’s cocky, swept up into a proud little tuft in the front.
What a cocky shit.

Dog Tags (Book 4) excerpt:

The first channel I come by shows a bunch of shirtless military boys marching through the rain. It’s a movie or a comedy or something, can’t say what it is and, to put it bluntly, I don’t care; the boys are hot and that’s all I seem to notice.
Their muscles firm, their bodies jogging in perfect unison—like they were part of one machine, synchronized, unyielding—I watch as their dog tags bounce on their proud chests.
And each of their faces is Brandon’s face.

About The Author

Meet Daryl Banner:

Daryl Banner is a writer and composer who graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Theatre and Psychology.  He does not write in any single genre, as his stories tend to span several. He is most inspired by the smart and unlikely hero, but urges you (the reader) not to fall in love with them; they may deceive you with their innocence. He is thrilled by putting his characters in terrible situations where they must face choices and challenges that seem impossible to overcome.  Daryl Banner writes science fiction / urban fantasy, M/M romance, and post-apocalyptic fantasy. He cannot wait to hear what you think about his stories and welcomes (and responds to!) all feedback.  Follow him on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/DarylBannerWriter  Interesting tidbits: Daryl is also an obsessive piano player, video game enthusiast, and occasional actor. He’s been remixing video game music for over fifteen years, and is a passionate Final Fantasy fan. You can feed your ears with many of his remixes (as well as his original music) on his YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/DarylBanner . He also composes original soundtracks that accompany some of his books. You can listen to and download them here: http://darylbanner.bandcamp.com

Where to find Daryl Banner:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darylbannerwriter
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/darylbannerwriter
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/darylbanner
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/darylbanner
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/darylbanner
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/darylbanner
Bandcamp: http://darylbanner.bandcamp.com

Tour Dates & Stops:
Parker Williams, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Havan Fellows, Inked Rainbow Reads, Jessie G. Books, Happily Ever Chapter, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Divine Magazine, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Ogitchida Book Blog

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: 2 separate (US ONLY) winners of a signed paperback of any Brazen Boy of their choice. 2 separate $5 Amazon gift cards (4 winners total). Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Think Love and Videogames Clash? Check Out Sex, Love, and Videogames (Serpentine Series #3)  by CJane Elliott (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

Sex, Love, and Videogames (Serpentine Series #3)  by CJane Elliott
Release Date: August 21, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Where can you buy the book? Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe)

My Author Interview with CJ Elliott

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing CJane Elliott, author of Sex, Love, and Videogames.

Hi CJane, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hi there. Thanks so much for having me on your blog today to talk about my newest book, Sex, Love, and Videogames, the third novel in the Serpentine Series. Each book is a standalone but the series has recurring characters. Sex, Love, and Videogames is the story of Jed Carter, who we first met in Serpentine Walls, and Charlie Ambrose, a new character to the series.

• Do you buy a book because of the cover, the blurb, or something else?

I’m influenced by the cover. I might pause at a cover that draws me in, then read the blurb. If the author isn’t known to me, I base my purchase mostly on the blurb and whether the story sounds interesting. I tend to buy women authors and I like stories about relationships. I will also buy a book based on recommendations from other authors or friends.

• What does ‘romance’ mean to you?

Romance means hope. It means that falling in love is possible and so is having your happily ever after. In my books, the characters often have to grow and change before they’re able to allow love in, but that’s what makes it satisfying when they finally get there.

• What are your current projects?

I’m about to begin the editing phase on my next Dreamspinner release, which is a follow-up story to my novella Wild and Precious. We find out what happens to Cody Bellstrom as he travels on a train out West. The story is called There You Are and will be published in December or January.

I submitted a story for the Dreamspinner holiday anthology this year, Home Is Where the Christmas Trees Are, and will hear whether or not they accepted it in September. *fingers crossed*

I’m planning my next novella in the Wild and Precious universe and the fourth novel in the Serpentine Series for publication in 2016.

But Dreamspinner had to go and add their new line: Dreamspun Desires, which is Harlequin-style romances featuring all the traditional tropes! Now I have to write something for that too!
• What is the most difficult part of writing for you?

Getting started. I brainstorm ideas, make an outline, and dither around before I start the actual writing. But once I’ve gotten the first chapter written, I’m on a roll.

• Tell us something about yourself that would surprise people.

I’m a licensed clinical social worker and I work for a Hospice in my day job. Far from being an “evil day job” I truly love the work I do.

Now about Sex, Love, and Videogames

Blurb

Shy guy Jed Carter has always felt invisible next to his charismatic older brother, Kent. Kent’s master plan for Jed is simple: University of Virginia, business, sports, and ladies’ man. None of it is Jed, except for playing on the rugby team, which he joins in defiance of soccer-loving Kent. Jed comes out in his sophomore year and starts seeing Pete, an attractive junior, who uses him for sex and videogames. Jed wants more—in life and in love—and starts making his own plans. First on the list: getting to know Charlie, the handsome guy working at the local videogame arcade.

Charlie Ambrose has always felt like an oddball, and not just for his tendency to stutter. Being gay sets him apart from his African-American community, and as a “townie,” he doesn’t fit in with the college crowd. Charlie’s inspiration is his cousin, Morocco, who’s transgender and doesn’t give a fig about fitting in. Art is Charlie’s passion, and when a local videogame designer discovers him, Charlie’s living a dream. The only thing he’s missing is love. But the last person Charlie expects to find it with is a cute, white U.Va. rugby player named Jed.

Pages or Words: 264 pages
Categories: Contemporary, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New adult, *Trans, Interracial

Excerpt

“Okay, warm up laps!” Beau led the rugby team in a slow circuit around the perimeter of Mad Bowl. After a few laps, he stopped and had them do stretching exercises.
The other team did their warming up, and when they moved to take positions, Jed noticed a pair of people standing on the sidelines. His breathing stopped for a second. Charlie stood, hands in his pockets, shifting from foot to foot, while Morocco, a vision in a pink track suit, set up a camp chair (apt name, that) and sat down. Morocco saw Jed looking and waved. Charlie turned and gave a small wave himself, and Jed waved back, heart beating faster.
“Who’re they?” Bud asked, squinting over at them.
“Um, Charlie’s a guy who works at Lucky’s. In the gaming area. And the other is his cousin.”
“Hmm. Townies?”
“Yep.”
“She’s cute.”
“Um, well, about that….” Jed cut himself off because the referee blew the whistle. Time to play ball and hope he did well in front of those two.
The game proved the usual testosterone-fest, with lots of grunting and body contact. When Jed scored some points, Morocco produced pom poms that matched her outfit and waved them wildly.
At the break, Jed ran over to them for a minute to say hi—fuck what the rest of the team thought.
“Jed, child, my word!” Morocco fanned her chest. “Y’all are such manly men! Rugby is going to be my new obsession, I just know it!”
“I like it. My mom never let me play contact sports in high school, so I kinda love ramming into people.” Jed felt his cheeks flame at what he had said. Crap-a-doodle.
But Morocco laughed and Charlie faked a cough so he could smile behind his fist.
“So, hey, thanks for coming. I gotta go back now.”
Charlie nodded as Morocco said, “We’ll see you after the game.” She picked up her pom poms. “Wa-hoo-wa!”
When the team huddled before the second half, a homophobe named Welburn said with a sneer, “Who are those freaks on the sidelines?”
Another guy laughed. “Yeah. I thought all the he-shes lived in San Francisco.”
“What’re you talking about?” Bud peered over toward Charlie and Morocco. “That girl?”
Welburn spit on the ground. “That girl is no she. She’s a he. What the hell are they doing here?”
Beau raised his voice. “Hey, concentrate, guys. We need to win this game.”
Jed held up a hand to stop Beau from continuing. “Before we do that, you all need to know that those are some friends of mine. So shut your fucking faces before I shut them for you.” He leveled a lethal glare at Welburn and his compatriot.
Fueled by his anger, Jed played an amazing second half, and the team pulled out a victory on the strength of his points alone. After their team high five, he trotted over to Charlie and Morocco. Charlie smiled broadly while Morocco jumped up and down. “Jed, Jed, Jed! Wa-hoo-wa! Thass right!”
“Okay, okay.” Jed couldn’t help laughing at Morocco’s outrageous enthusiasm. “Thanks for coming to the game.”
“It was fun. I’m glad we came.” Charlie took a step back, seemingly surprised to have gotten two stutter-free sentences out.
“I’m glad too.” They gazed tentatively at each other, and Morocco suddenly got busy folding up the camp chair.

About the Author

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.
CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.
In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cjane.elliott
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJaneElliott
E-mail: cjaneelliott@gmail.com
Website: http://www.cjaneelliott.com

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of any Serpentine Series book. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Tour Dates & Stops:
21-Aug

Boys on the Brink Reviews: http://www.boysonthebrink.com/blog-tour-and-giveaway-sex-love-and-videogames-by-cjane-elliott/

Divine Magazine: http://divinemagazine.net/book-stuff/sex-love-and-videogames-by-cjane-elliott-keep-me-in-mind-tour

Jessie G. Books: http://jessiegbooks.com/blog-tour-sex-love-and-videogames-by-cjane-elliott/

Bayou Book Junkie: http://bayoubookjunkie.blogspot.com/2015/08/keep-me-in-mind-mm-sex-love-and.html

28-Aug Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Happily Ever Chapter

4-Sep Amanda C. Stone, MM Good Book Reviews

11-Sep V’s Reads, Bike Book Reviews, The Novel Approach

18-Sep Hearts on Fire, Love Bytes

25-Sep The Jena Wade, My Fiction Nook

2-Oct Inked Rainbow Reads, BFD Book Blog

9-Oct Prism Book Alliance, Molly Lolly, Velvet Panic

In the Book Spotlight: Classic  (Rainbow Connection  #3) by Lynn Townsend

Classic  (Rainbow Connection  #3) by Lynn Townsend
Release Date: September 2, 2015

Goodreads Link – Add it to your bookshelf
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

Sales Links: Torquere Books

Beau Watkins and Vin Reyes have mended their differences, but that doesn’t mean that everything is back the way it was. When Beau’s teenage niece shows up with her son in tow, Beau is thrown unexpectedly into a world of adult responsibilities and adult decisions, all of which could have disastrous consequences. Reconciliation with his family is complicated by an overseas internship with a predatory business woman.

Vin still struggles with his alcoholism, with finding his place in a world after college, and establishing relationships with his newfound father and sister. The last puzzle piece of Vin’s mysterious past is clicked into place when he comes face-to-face with his mother’s ex-fiance. His relationship with Beau has never been stronger… until an unexpected email threatens to topple everything they’ve build together.

Pages or Words: 69,900 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Beau grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and tossed it in his gym bag. Outside, David laid on the horn.
“Coming,” Beau muttered to the empty room. Vin was off touring yet another one of his grandfather’s facilities in the endless, looping discussion about what he was going to do with his life.Beau locked the door behind himself, and skipped most of the bottom half of the stairs with a one-handed rail-jump. He waved to the Escalade, knowing David would see him behind the tinted windows. Beau felt a flutter of pleasurable nerves in his gut; it had been a while since he’d gone out dancing–avoiding the bars was in Vin’s best interests for the time being–and he really needed a workout. David had suggested a trip to the gym, where he’d teach Beau some of the basics in kick-boxing.
Beau just reached the door when someone grabbed his shoulder. He dropped his bag, whirling, heart in his throat, breathing hard. He knocked the offending limb aside. The passenger side door of the Escalade flew open and David slid out, gun already in hand.
“Back away from Mr. Watkins, sir,” David advised, his voice low and firm.
“I am Mr. Watkins,” the man said, confused. “Beau?”
“Lee?” Beau’s legs almost gave out from under him and he leaned hard against the side of the SUV, feeling the black painted metal heating his skin. “Jesus Christ.”
“Are you all right, sir?” David didn’t look away from his target, his gun still trained on Beau’s older brother.
“Parking lot,” Beau said. David knew about his panic attacks. David had been there when Vin found Beau, beaten and bloody, on the asphalt, two years ago.
“Back. Up.” David slid the rest of the way out of the vehicle. “I consider you a threatening individual.”
“My God, David,” Beau said. David wasn’t wearing his typical three-piece suit, probably the first time Beau had ever seen him dressed casually, in black sweatpants and a white tank top, his gun holster buckled to his chest like some sort of kinky lingerie. Beau’d always suspected the raw strength underneath the tailored coats, but he’d never actually seen it. David was cut from a block of wood, hard muscles overlaid with tanned skin, marred here and there by scars, one of which could have been caused by nothing less than a bullet wound. “Lee is my brother.”
“Which does not negate the need to protect you from him, sir,” David said. “I’ve heard about his letters. Not only that, but I saw Mr. Reyes’s throat after spring break. This is a dangerous individual.”
“I kinda dislocated his shoulder for that,” Beau admitted. “Seriously, David, put the gun away and put on a shirt, you’re makin’ me horny.”
“Yah, you’re cute, kid, but not that cute.” David gave Lee a particularly fierce look. “I am very fond of your brother. I will shoot you if I even think you’re about to do something stupid. Are we crystal on this?”
“Yeah, clear, man,” Lee said. He took a cautious step backward. “I just wanna talk to him. I’m not here to pick a fight.”
Beau nodded. “Right. We’ll go talk on the steps,” he said.
Lee waited until they were out of earshot. “What the hell is that guy’s problem?”
“David and Vin saved my life a few years back,” Beau said. “I think David takes it personally that he wasn’t there to keep Contreras from beating the shit out of me. And you did try to crush Vin’s throat.” Beau’s legs were still wobbly and he collapsed onto the stairs gratefully.
“Whatever, man.”
It was barely worth the effort to glare at Lee. “What are you doing here? What do you want? How the hell did you even find our place?” Beau leaned his head against the brick wall. He would probably kill someone for a cigarette, but he was trying to quit–again–and didn’t currently have any on him.
“I got the address from Sheila, down at the post office. I asked her where Momma was sending all your packages.”
“Well, that’s just a little bit creepy,” Beau said. Not that it wasn’t typical; small towns did not hold with big federal laws about privacy. It wasn’t private, between kin, and half the town was related to most of the other half. “Sit down, Lee. My head already hurts.”
Lee dropped onto the porch, leaning his weight back on one arm. He looked older. There was no better word for it. His usually needs-a-haircut curls were gone, close clipped in an almost military style, and he’d finally shaved off the soul patch under his lip. Lee wore a button down shirt and jeans. Near his knee, there was a red smear of something that might have been dried jelly.
“How have you been, kid?” Lee asked.
“Are we being nice? Is that what we’re doing here? Nice? After… well, after everything?”
“I didn’t think you’d listen to me if I called.” Lee raked a hand over his scalp, his wedding ring glinting in the sun.
“I suppose you think I’m being unreasonable, all things considered?” Beau asked.
“Look, I’m sorry about the letters,” Lee said.
“Don’t apologize to me about them.” Beau snorted. “I didn’t read ’em after the first two. Broke my hand on the wall wishin’ it was your skull. Ann-Marie read them for me, to see if you’d stopped being an ass. Haven’t gotten one in a while. Something change in your life?”

Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn’s interests include filk music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.

Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LynnTownsendwriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tisfan
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kthicks3/
Other: http://paidbytheweird.blogspot.com/
Other: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tisfan

 Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Happily Ever Chapter, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, BFD Book Blog, Inked Rainbow Reads, Molly Lolly, Velvet Panic, Jessie G. Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Divine Magazine, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Trilogy of books, Roll, Blues and Classic. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
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Music Is the Key to Love with Annabeth Albert’s Treble Maker (excerpt and contest)

Treble Maker by Annabeth Albert
Release Date: August 4, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Kensington
Cover Artist: Cora Graphics

Sales Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

On Perfect Harmony, the ambitious competitors heat things up on stage and off…  Cody Rivers is determined to be a rock star, but couch-surfing between bar shows gets old fast. Joining an a cappella group for a new singing competition show could be his last chance at real fame—unless the college boy from the heart of the country messes it up for him. Lucas Norwood is everything gothy, glittery Cody is not—conservative, clean-cut, and virginal. But when a twist in the show forces them together, even the sweetest songs get steamy as the attraction between them lights up the stage. Lucas wants to take it slow, but Cody’s singing a different tune—and this time it may be a love song…

Pages or Words: 100,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

The bass singer was gay. Cody wiggled his hips in an exaggerated move that always got him company on dance floors, waited a beat, and … there. Right on cue, the curly-haired singer gave him another sidelong glance.

A straight dude might grant Cody the occasional double take because, yeah, it was damn hard to ignore Cody’s style of fabulousness. Today, for example, the style gods had smiled on him—his hair was the perfect combination of deliberate spikes and casual falls, the silver specks in his eyeliner complemented his studded leather belt, and his red skinny jeans showed off his ass. So when the bass’s double take had turned into something more like a quintuple take, Cody knew what those lingering glances meant. Knew it despite the fact that the bass looked fresh off the farm, all wholesome and rosy-cheeked and wearing a tie/sweater vest combo perfect for performing in a church choir.

Crash. The bass missed a step, sending a speaker skidding across the stage. One of the camera guys groaned. On second thought, maybe the bass hadn’t been checking out Cody. Maybe he had trouble controlling his big blue eyes the same way he had trouble controlling his big-assed feet.

Whatever the dude was, he was screwing up Cody’s big break. Twitchy farmer boy and the rest of his all-boy group had screwed up multiple run-throughs of the opening number for the new season of Perfect Harmony. No one would notice Cody’s singing if the other groups kept crashing into one another and losing the chorus. He’d worked damn hard to earn this solo, and he didn’t need farmer boy messing it up with his clodhopper feet that kept tripping over thin air.

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency

Where to find the author:
https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbert
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/annabethalbertauthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AnnabethAlbert
 Tumblr: https://www.annabethalbert.tumblr.com
Fan group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/annabethsangels/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Nb9yv

 Tour Dates & Stops: August 4, 2015

My Fiction Nook, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, 3 Chicks After Dark, Just Love Romance, Happily Ever Chapter, Divine Magazine, Bayou Book Junkie, Velvet Panic, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Bike Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Boys on the Brink Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Jessie G. Books, Inked Rainbow Reads,
Foxylutely Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, Amanda C. Stone, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Mikky’s World of Books, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Multitasking Mommas, Charley Descoteaux, Parker Williams

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 gift card, must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:

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In the Book Spotlight: Tempting Jordan (Second Chances #3) by Andrea Dalling

Tempting Jordan (Second Chances #3) by Andrea Dalling
Release Date: July 20, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Artesian Well Publishing
Cover Artist: Andrea Dalling

Sales Links: Amazon

Jordan Callahan is disillusioned about dating since he caught yet another boyfriend cheating. He’s tired of giving his heart to men who only want his body. At his five-year high school reunion, he meets up with old flame Rick Ferguson. Tall, dark, and bisexual, Rick has been his dream guy since sophomore year. But Rick is in the closet and has dated a string of women since high school. If he gives in to the temptation of Rick’s kisses, his lost love could be his future—or just another in a string of men to break his heart.

Rick has tried to live up to other people’s expectations. Everyone in his small home town is waiting for the former captain of the football team to settle down with a nice girl. Well, girls aren’t in the cards for him, and he’s done trying. He wants Jordan, his best friend since first grade. But a relationship with Jordan means coming out—disappointing his family and inviting ridicule from friends. His golden boy reputation will be shattered if he follows his heart to the only love he’s ever wanted.

Pages or Words: 34,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult

Jordan’s muscles slackened, and cold anticipation formed a lump in his stomach. Rick isn’t really jealous?

But the feral look in Rick’s eyes said he was.

The hand on his shoulder nudged him toward the ballroom. Did Rick want him? Was that why he’d agreed to come stag?

Rick’s fingers idly tapped the small of Jordan’s back as they walked. The whisper of contact was odd and possessive, and it sent Jordan’s blood surging to all the wrong places. He shouldn’t have had that second scotch. He was relaxed and horny, especially with Rick so close, when he needed to keep his wits about him. Rick would never forgive him if he let something slip about their past together in front of their high school friends.

The tapping continued, revving his nerves into high gear. His fly pressed painfully against his flesh. He turned to Rick. “Will you stop touching me?”

Rick’s easy smile fled. “Why?”

He grabbed the collar of Rick’s shirt and said in his ear, “Because, dumbass, you’re making me hard.”

Rick raised his brows and smirked. They moved forward again. The tapping slowed but didn’t stop.

Sales Links:

Andrea Dalling lives in the sexy Southeast, where the summers are hot and the romance hotter. During the day, she’s an award-winning technical writer, but at night, she writes steamy stories. She loves to torture her characters but eventually rewards them with a happily-ever-after. Married to her college sweetheart, she’s a progressive Christian and an advocate for LGBT rights. You can follow her on Facebook (andrea.dalling.romance) or on Twitter (@Andrea_Dalling).

Tour Dates & Stops:

July 24, 2015 Parker Williams, Bike Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Havan Fellows, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly, Inked Rainbow Reads, Jessie G. Books, Amanda C. Stone, My Fiction Nook, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, 3 Chicks After Dark, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, MM Good Book Reviews, Christy Loves 2 Read, Velvet Panic, Nic Starr, The Hat Party, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Chris McHart, Kimi-Chan, Mikky’s World of Books

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: PDF Copy of the book. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Love a Quirky Happy Romance? It’s the Imposter in Zebra-striped Briefs by C.C. Dado (author interview and giveaway)

Imposter in Zebra-stripes Briefs (The Seattle Chronicles #2) by C C. Dado
Release Date: July 1, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Dreamspinner Press

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

My Mini Interview with C.C. Dado

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing C.C. Dado author of Imposter in Zebra-striped Briefs…
Hi, C.C, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

I am a native of the Pacific Northwest. I’m a bit of a hypochondriac sundae, with claustrophobic sprinkles, and a big cherry of anxiety on top, so I don’t travel much. I read and write to relax my mind. I tend to write painfully awkward, usually embarrassing, romance because long confident gazes followed by sexy dancing never happens to me.

Imposter in Zebra-striped Briefs is about taking chances, making friends and falling for someone that you never thought you could have.

• What book do you wish you could have written?

Shel Silverstein “Where the sidewalk ends” it oozes creativity on every page.

• How important are names to you (in your books)? Do you choose names based on liking the way it sounds or meaning? How do you choose your names?

Names are very important, it’s like the wrapping on a gift, but there is no reasoning so far for me in picking one. I have three books currently published or in the publishing process and I picked the names after the book was complete, I wanted the whole story to tell me what the name should be, but that’s not how it always works. I had a brainstorm the other day on a new story and I have one page of notes on the new story and the title was obvious to me.

• Were you already a great writer? Have you always enjoyed writing? How long have you been writing?

I have always said literacy is my kryptonite, and to a certain extent it still is. So no, I have not always been a writer. I would consider myself a story teller not a writer.

• Which character, from any of your books, do you consider your greatest work?

I would say “Elliot” from Meet-Cute is my favorite, only because he is a self-deprecating version of me so it was easy to flow through the scenes. The friendship between Nathan and Josh in Imposter in Zebra-striped Briefs is a close second though.

• What hobbies do you enjoy?

Painting/Sketching,

Thank you, C.C., for the great answers and for stopping by today.

Blurb:

When recent college graduate Nathan Harris makes a life-changing move out from under his mother’s thumb and into his own place, he is determined to take some risks. He is tired of not being good enough, tired of allowing his fears to control him.

What he thought would be an exciting adventure ends up being one jaw-dropping mishap of embarrassment after another, leaving him with a life he doesn’t even recognize anymore.

His once boring, lonely existence has been replaced by a brownstone filled with colorful friends, a rough around the edges, tattooed bad boy best friend, and a stripper for a boyfriend who’s not even sure he’s gay.

Pages or Words: 22,810 words

Categories: Contemporary, Humor, M/M Romance, New Adult

Excerpt:

Ding…. He heard his phone go off again as he was grabbing an orange from the fridge. Nathan set the orange on the counter and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Maybe I’m jumping the gun here. What are you into?

Nathan wasn’t quite sure how to answer that. He leaned back against the kitchen counter and stared at the keypad for a second before responding. Guys?

Ding…. I’m literally shaking my head at you right now….

Ding…. Josh instantly followed up his last text. I meant what turns you on about a guy. Eyes? A nice ass? I need to know what I’m working with here.

Nathan felt like the entire world could see his words as he typed his response. I think men’s feet are sexy.

Ding… Josh responded, apparently not fazed at all by Nathan’s answer. All right then, let’s start at the toes and work our way up.

About the author:

I write painfully awkward, usually embarrassing, romance because long confident gazes followed by sexy dancing never happens to me.
I am a native of the Pacific Northwest, and will probably never leave since I’m a hypochondriac sundae, with claustrophobic sprinkles, and a cherry of anxiety on top. I read and write to relax my mind and I love getting lost in someone else’s story, even if it is only for a little while.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: @C_C_Dado

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: PDF Copy of ‘Imposter in Zebra-striped Briefs’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
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 Tour Dates & Stops:
1-Jul
Hearts on Fire
Amanda C. Stone
2-Jul
The Novel Approach
3-Jul
EE Montgomery
Bayou Book Junkie
6-Jul
MM Good Book Reviews
7-Jul
Love Bytes
Velvet Panic
Inked Rainbow Reads
8-Jul
Boys on the Brink Reviews
9-Jul
Jessie G. Books
10-Jul
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
13-Jul
Prism Book Alliance
14-Jul
Full Moon Dreaming
15-Jul
BFD Book Blog
16-Jul
Chris McHart
Happily Ever Chapter
17-Jul
Bike Book Reviews
20-Jul
Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy
21-Jul
My Fiction Nook
Molly Lolly

The Luckiest is Out! A Mila McWarren Interview on The Luckiest, Inspiration and Writing! (interview and giveaway)

The Luckiest by Mila McWarren
Release Date: July 7, 2015

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

Sales Links: Interlude Press | Amazon

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Author Interview with Mila McWarren

• I love it when an author chooses unusual professions for their characters. Why a memoirist? Does his profession play an important role in the story or was the choice separate from what you wanted to “get” from the plot?

Oh, man, I love this question.

So (a) I love the hubris of Aaron being a memoirist. I love the hubris of ANYBODY being a memoirist, but especially this kid who is still, in so many ways, really actively figuring out who he is. I mean, really, how dare he – but of course he does. It’s actually a central piece of thinking about who he is and how he understands himself; the kid has balls, for sure. (b) In my heart of hearts, I totally want to be a memoirist. I wish I had the skill of capturing a moment of my life and distilling it into a perfect story that somebody else might actually find some beauty in. I wish I felt like my own experience was important enough that other people should care about it more! That must be an amazing way to live! (c) You’re right on with the point about what it does for the plot – I think, ideally, it helps encourage us to slow down a little bit and think about the impact of experiences. It’s just a week at a beach house, right? Or maybe it’s more. And, finally, (d) man did it help do some structural work. It’s a common cheat, diary entries and the like, as a way to sneak in a little more exposition without dumping it all over your reader. I’m not even a little sorry, because I ended up really loving and enjoying the little interstitial bits of Nik and Aaron’s writing that it allowed me to sneak in there.

What was the inspiration for the title?

So there’s a scene in the book where they sing at the wedding, and the song they sing is Ben Folds’ The Luckiest. Google it – it’s gorgeous. But I loved the parallel of that title with the two central characters, because really: who is lucky enough to get it so damn right the first time out, and then also get a second chance after you’ve blown it all to hell by being a dumb teenager? They are, most sincerely, the luckiest.

Do you stay in touch with your old school friends and did that help inspire your story?

Not. Even. A little bit. I have a really active and close group of friends in the city where I live, and most of those I’ve met on the internet over the last 10 years, or through work. It’s definitely the case that Aaron and Nik’s friends from The Luckiest are more wish-fulfillment than anything inspired by my real life. (Also, though: I’m so much older than Aaron and Nik! A thing I’ve thought about a lot is which of those people they’ll still be close to in another 10 years. I think Alex and David will stay, and probably Stephanie, in her own slightly distant, self-absorbed way. I am really not sure about Jasmine. That girl worries me. I am probably too attached.)

. How do you choose a setting?

Well, first of all: I have to have been there. The internet is great and all, but honestly, you can get so much just from sitting on a bench for an hour – who’s walking by, what the air smells like, whether it sounds like bells or traffic or trucks or water, where the shade is, whether you need a sweater at night. And then I like to think about what kinds of stories that place might have to tell. Texas was an easy pick, in this case, because I know it so well. Texans are proud and so many never leave the state because they don’t have to; it’s a huge place, the economy is growing well, and there is work to be had. The people who do leave (especially those who have deep roots there) do so because they have reasons: they don’t feel comfortable there, or they want to try something very distinctively different, or because they needed some kind of escape. Being from a place like that, a place you never HAVE to leave, marks you as a little bit different when you do – and that is a story worth thinking about, I think.

Favorite wedding themed book or movie?

Besides this one?

So, first: when I was thinking about this book, way way back in the beginning, I thought about it as a ‘Big Chill’ story. Obviously it’s a little bit different – a funeral story is especially depressing about characters so young – but the central idea of all these people in a house as the central setting was the common thread.

Which, now that you’ve asked this question, makes me feel kind of dumb. Because one of my all-time favorite favorite movies is ‘Monsoon Wedding’, a Mira Nair film from 2001, and there’s a good handful of common elements: people coming together for a wedding; that exciting/manic/ awkward energy of people who don’t see each other very often anymore coming together; and a secondary love story between the guy who comes to build the whole wedding and another member of the household. Huh. Look at that.

What’s next for Mila McWarren?

So much work to catch up on! In terms of fiction writing, though: I honestly have no idea. I really believe in the value of letting my brain go fallow for a little bit and then waiting to see what grows up. There are just the barest green shoots now and there’s not even a central character attached but I’ll say this: every year I go to San Diego with my husband for Comic-Con, and we nerd out pretty hard. This year it just might turn into a little bit of a research trip.

Thanks! This was really fun!

Blurb:

When New York-based memoirist Aaron Wilkinson gathers with his high school friends to marry off two of their own, he is forced to spend a week with Nik, the boy who broke his heart.

As they settle into the Texas beach house where the nuptials will be performed, Nik quickly makes his intentions clear: he wants Aaron back. “He’s coming hard, baby,” a friend warns, setting the tone for a week of transition where Aaron and Nik must decide if they are playing for keeps.

Pages or Words: 256 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Excerpt:

Aaron finishes the song and Stephanie snatches the mic out of his hand, crooks her finger at Nik and launches them into a reprise of their performance of “Dancing on My Own” from the homecoming weekend they all spent here at the house back in senior year. Stephanie still has questionable rhythm and tragic pitch—she loves to sing, which is why they have a karaoke machine in this house, but it’s one thing she will admit she doesn’t have much of a gift for—but there’s a reason Nik majored in music at The University of Texas, and his voice has come a long way.

Somehow, this deliberate throwback to a memory that was never anything but happy seems different than what Aaron has just done. He sits on the sofa, flanked by Alex and Jasmine, hating them both a little for participating in it even while he smiles. Nik dances—how can you not, with this song—but he still watches Aaron, gives him a little head-tilt during the chorus, and it’s charming and devastating and infuriating.

Jasmine leans to murmur, “Oh, I see how it is.”

“Oh, shut up.” 

“You might not be desperate, but I’m not sure about him. He’s coming hard, baby.”

About the author:

Mila McWarren grew up in Texas, but has happily made her home on the East Coast for the last decade. In her day job she works as a social scientist and has spent the last 10 years developing her fiction writing online. She lives with her husband and their two kids. When she isn’t using working, writing, or hanging out with her family, she likes knitting and watching television, because they go together like peanut butter and chocolate, two of her other great loves.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: @milamcwarren
Tumblr: https://www.milamcwarren.tumblr.com
Website: https://www.milamcwarren.com

Contest

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: One $25 Interlude Press gift card. Five e-book copies of ‘The Luckiest’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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 Tour Dates & Stops: July 7 – July 20, 2015
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