COZZI COVE: BOUNCING BACK
by JOE COSENTINO from NineStar Press
Purchase links: NineStar Press | ARe | Barnes & Noble | My Books
AN INTERVIEW WITH JOE COSENTINO, author of COZZI COVE: BOUNCING BACK, a novel published by NineStar Press
- Why write about the Jersey shore? What drew you to that particular location?
I spent my summers as a kid on the New Jersey Shore. It was the best time of my life. My aunt and uncle had a bungalow there. My sister and I built sandcastles at the beach, swam in the bay, played miniature golf (I always won!), jumped up and down on trampolines, ate salt water taffy, and dined at our favorite seafood restaurant with a projection of dancing musical instruments. All those places and experiences are in the novel in a fictitious place I call Cozzi Cove, a gay resort of eight bungalows in a private cove on the Jersey Shore. The resort is run by Cal Cozzi. Cal, short for Calvin, is thirty years old, tall, and muscular. His Italian and Scottish heritage left him with striking auburn hair and a strong nose. He dabbled as a professional football player then restaurant owner, but neither was a good fit. After Cal’s parents died in an automobile accident, he found his calling: managing his family’s seven bungalows around the rocky cove in the New Jersey shore town named after his great-grandfather. Sensing Cal’s sexual orientation as a boy, Cal’s father had turned Cozzi Cove into a gay resort. Cal is honored to follow in his father’s footsteps.
- Did you ever spend time during the summer in bungalows like those?
I used my aunt and uncle’s bungalow as the model for the bungalows on Cozzi Cove built by Cal’s great-grandfather. There was a screened-in porch, a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, and an outdoor shower. The furnishings and décor were hand-carved expressions of nautical themes.
- Mermen – fact or fiction? lol Ok, what’s the fascination with mermen? So many people can’t get enough of them and tales that evolve around them…
After a vacation on the Jersey Shore last year, I was so enthralled with the white sandy beaches, foamy waves splashing on jagged rocks, crystal-blue sky kissed by fluffy clouds, the gorgeous lighthouse in the distance, and that warm, comforting sun, I decided to write a new series based there. When I asked my friends on Facebook what to include in the first novel, they responded with suggestions like: coconut-scented suntan lotion, hot guys in Speedos, cool shades, fluffy beach towels, entertaining love stories, and my unique sense of humor. One old friend replied, “Don’t forget the merman!” I think the idea of a handsome half-man/half-fish with long seaweed-like hair, sea-blue eyes, muscles like rippling waves, and a salty-tasting kiss appeals to many people. It certainly does to Arthur in COZZI COVE: BOUNCING BACK.
- Fun, romance and summer always seem to flow together. Magic too. What gave you the idea to combine them?
My favorite movie as a kid was Hayley Mill’s Summer Magic. Hayley and her family moved into a new house in the New England countryside and romance blossomed everywhere. I decided my series wouldn’t include traditional magic, but would have that same sense of wonderment and romance in Summer Magic. The series is about Cal but also includes intercut stories featuring his guests (a la The Love Boat). As I began writing the stories, I realized nothing is what it seems at Cozzi Cove, and everyone, including Cal, has a secret. Very quickly in the writing process, Cozzi Cove became a place of romance, magic, and mystery.
After my two Bittersweet Dreams novellas, An Infatuation (2nd Place Divine Magazine Readers’ Choice Award of 2015 for Best MM Romance) and A Shooting Star (In My Heart Series) published by Dreamspinner Press, were released countless readers begged me for more time with one of the characters from An Infatuation. So that character and his brother are the first guests at Cozzi Cove. Mario and Harold, two brothers/college students look alike, but couldn’t be more different. Mario is searching for love, and Harold is searching for lust. A wealthy older couple, Josh and Greg, play matchmakers for their gorgeous son Christopher. Opposites attract as multifaceted Tim meets shy Mark, and porn star Chuck Caliber connects with Sean, a virgin romance novelist. Finally computer game designer Arthur has a midnight sea rendezvous with a merman. Even married Cal faces an emotional upheaval when a gay bashing turns into something quite unexpected for him.
The other regular characters, besides Cal, include Lance who is twenty-four, short, stocky, African American with dark hair and dark eyes and amazing dimples. He grew up poor, and worked hard getting scholarships and maintaining good grades throughout school. As a second grade teacher, Lance is off during the summers, his favorite time of year. This leaves him more time to do what he loves most: being with Cal. Connor, the college student assisting Cal, is packed with muscles and hormones. He revels in Cozzi Cove, and in checking out each resident for a possible fling on the cove. Tommy, the bald, muscular, tattooed resident of Cozzi Cove who owns the local bar has held a torch for Cal since high school. Carla, who owns the seafood restaurant in town, has a crush on Cal’s sister, Taylor.
- What was your favorite memory of summer growing up?
I remember going for a walk one summer on the Jersey Shore and finding a private cove. A cove is formed when softer rocks are worn away by the sun and salty water faster than the harder rocks surrounding them. This creates a gorgeous bay of turquoise water shielded by large rocks in the distance and smaller rocks near the water’s edge. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Thinking back, it was probably private property and I shouldn’t have wondered there. However, it was an emotional and spiritual experience I will never forget. Cozzi Cove is an extension of that amazing memory.
- Is there a real Cozzi Cove?
Only in my head—and in COZZI COVE: BOUNCING BACK. Also, in the second book, COZZI COVE: MOVING FORWARD, which is written and set for release by NineStar Press on April 18. So grab your Speedo, shades, and beach towel and join me at Cozzi Cove. There’s a bungalow waiting for you!
About Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back
On Cozzi Cove at the New Jersey shore, handsome Cal Cozzi’s seven bungalows are open for summer and love. Mario and Harold are brothers and college students who happen to look alike, but couldn’t be more different: Mario is searching for love, and Harold is searching for lust. Josh and Greg, a wealthy older couple, are matchmakers for their son, Christopher. When it comes to Connor, the maid, packed with muscles and a roving sponge, anything can happen. Opposites attract as wild Tim with the secret past meets shy Mark, and porn star Chuck Caliber connects with Sean, a virgin romance novelist. And what will happen when computer-game designer Arthur has a midnight sea rendezvous with a merman? Even married Cal faces an emotional upheaval when a gay bashing turns into something quite unexpected. What secrets and passions lie in magical Cozzi Cove?
Excerpt of COZZI COVE: BOUNCING BACK by Joe Cosentino
As Lance rested in bed and Cal was putting on jeans, sandals, and a canary polo shirt, they heard Connor enter the living room and call out to Cal. After giving Lance a kiss on the cheek, Cal begrudgingly left his lover, shut the front bedroom door after himself, and then met up with Connor, who was standing next to the living room sofa.
Connor said, “It’s good to be back at work.”
“How were your grades at college this year?”
Connor shrugged his muscular shoulders. “Pretty average.”
Cal thought, If average is getting Cs and Ds. “I’m guessing you were quite involved with extracurricular activities.”
“One or two.” He giggled. “Maybe, three.”
Cal had a soft spot for the kid. “You did a nice job preparing the bungalows yesterday.”
“I aim to please.”
Cal thought the nineteen-year-old looked like an American flag in cutoff blue jeans that matched his eyes, a T-shirt and sneakers that matched his red hair, and pale skin with freckles.
“How can I be of service to you today, boss?”
Cal ignored Connor’s obvious double meaning.
“Just the usual routine.” Cal wasn’t immune to Connor’s charm, but Connor was a kid, and Cal was a one-man man. “Carry their luggage into the bungalows when the guests arrive. Turn down beds at four p.m.” He attempted to look sternly at the boy. “… Without you in them.”
“Me come on to a guest?” Connor feigned surprise.
“Yes, you, Connor. This is a vacation resort, not the baths.” Cal moved behind his desk. “After today, make up the rooms late mornings and early afternoons. Leave the sheets and towels in front of the garage for the laundry pickup. And don’t forget to sweep out the parking area.”
Connor saluted. “Aye, aye, Capitán .”
They heard a knock at the front door. Cal shouted, “It’s open.”
“Is this the office?”
“We’re informal here,” Cal explained. He typed into his computer, and then motioned for the young man to join him.
“I’m Mario Ginnetti.” He placed a piece of luggage at his feet. “Is it okay to park in the lot?”
Connor seemed to nearly salivate at Mario’s arms in his violet short-sleeved shirt. “You can park anywhere you like.”
Ignoring Connor, Cal said, “Yes, that’s the lot for the bungalows.” Cal handed Mario a key. “You’re in Bungalow One. I’ve got your credit card, so you’re all set.” He took a map from the topmost desk drawer. “The ocean beach is open to the public and is only minutes away. You can swim, surf, snorkel, or go on a glass-bottom boat there.” He pointed to various black dots on the map. “You’ll want to get some groceries here. Tommy Malone’s is a good bar, and Carla’s is my favorite seafood restaurant. This place has killer ice cream, which you can work off here at the gym.”
Connor interjected with, “If you need help finding anything, just ask me. I’m a native.”
“Or you can come into the office and ask me.” Cal handed Mario the map and then pointed outside. “The cove is private property. You can sit out there all you like. The bay water is calm and warm. As you can see, the view is amazing.”
Connor added with a grin, “Nude sunbathing is permitted.”
Mario was visibly trying to take it all in.
“Any questions?” asked Cal.
Mario’s dimples appeared. “Will the weather always be this nice?”
“From your lips to the sea gods’ ears.” Cal smiled. “The weather report calls for rain, so that means it’s going to be sunny all week. Connor will take you to your bungalow.”
Connor looked like the wolf meeting Little Red Riding Hood as he took Mario’s luggage. “Follow me, Mario.”
About the Author…
Amazon Bestselling author Joe Cosentino wrote Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back (NineStar Press), Drama Queen and Drama MuscleNicky and Noah mysteries (Lethe Press), An Infatuation, A Shooting Star, A Home for the Holidays, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press), Paper Doll (Whiskey Creek Press) and Porcelain Doll (Wild Rose Press) Jana Lane mysteries, and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. His one-act plays, Infatuation and Neighbor, were performed in New York City. He wrote The Perils of Paulineeducational film (Prentice Hall Publishers). Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. His upcoming novels are Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward (Nine Star Press), Drama Cruise Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), and Satin Doll and China Doll Jana Lane mysteries (Wild Rose Press). Joe was voted 2nd Place for Best MM Author of the Year in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards for 2015!
- Web site: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeCosen
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino
- Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino
Giveaway
Post a comment below about why you love beach vacations. The one that floats
our raft the most will win an ebook of Joe Cosentino’s hit novella, AN
INFATUATION (Dreamspinner Press), from the author. myBook.to/AnInfatuation. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Publisher: Nine Star Press, Release Date: March 21, 2016
Language: English
Cover Design: Arai Tan
ISBN-13: 978-1-911153-35-1
ASIN: B01D7T939E
Length: 60,000 words
- Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back (Cozzi Cove #1) by Joe Cosentino
- Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward (Cozzi Cove #2) by Joe Cosentino
Tag: NineStar Press
A Paul B Review: Enemies of the State (The Executive Office #1) by Tal Bauer
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★
Ethan Reichenbach is the lead agent in the President-Elect’s Secret Service detail. He expects to spend the next four or eight years being shadowing the man just elected to live in the White House. What he did not expect is to become the new President’s friend. Nor did he expect to develop a crush on the man in the first few months after they move to Washington. Doing so would break so many Secret Service rules and would be grounds for dismissal. Not to mention that the President is straight. This breaks Ethan’s personal rules of never getting involved in a relationship and never falling for a straight man.
Jack Spiers has spent the fifteen years since his wife’s death in combat in public service. Focusing on veterans and their families, he has held several posts in Washington. Having been elected President should be the pinnacle of his career. But having lost his wife a long time ago, Jack finds the office lonely. He turns to his lead Secret Service agent for friendship, which Ethan is hesitant to give at first. However, as their friendship develops, Jack is surprised when one night Ethan kisses him. To say that Jack is surprised would be an understatement. As the two put distance between them, Jack still wants Ethan to be his friend. But Jack begins to realize that he has feelings for Ethan as well. He wants to find a way to make this work.
Against this backdrop, Jack is still President. He must deal with a world that has basically gone to hell in a handbasket the last ten years. With China and Russia both occupying countries and the Islamic Caliphate causing trouble both in the Middle East and around the world through terror attacks, Jack has his hands full. However, the real trouble might be right under Jack’s nose. An American general is working with agents in the Middle East to bring about even more instability to a region already at war. As Jack works toward bringing peace to the world, there are others who are trying to insure that he does not succeed. Ethan must work to protect the man who is not only the President but also his lover.
In order for a political thriller to work, the premise behind the book must work. Set approximately 10-30 years in the future, Enemies of the State describes a world that could possibly exist at that time. The Islamic Caliphate (ISIS/ISIL) has grown bolder with the passage of time, as has Russia with their land grabs. The English, French and Germans are battle weary after numerous terrorist attacks. Into this world, Jack must try to bring all sides together to prevent the start of World War III.
The other part of a good political thriller is the romance. I loved the slow building romance between Ethan and Jack. Ethan, the gay Secret Service agent, knows that a relationship with Jack is wrong on so many levels. But are the signals the President is sending him real? Jack is alone in the White House and needs a friend. What could be wrong with that? They begin to learn about each other as they work through their own problems with this relationship. I look forward to see where the next book goes with both this relationship and the various subplots that are left unresolved.
The cover art by Aria Tan shows Ethan and Jack above the Washington skyline. It is a fitting cover for the book.
Sales Links: NineStar Press | Amazon | ARe
Book Details
ebook, 324 pages
Published February 15th 2016 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781911153337
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series: The Executive
Enemies of the State (The Executive #1)
A Mika Review: Thorns and Fangs (Thorns and Fangs #1) by Gillian St. Kevern
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Nate is caught between two dangerously hot vampires who can compel people to do whatever they want and a ruthless necromancer who wants Nate for all the wrong reasons—and that’s only the start of his problems.
Escort Nate prides himself on two things: his ability to please his clients and his normality – living in the monster capital of the world, ordinary is rare. Hunter, a darkly charming vampire with more charisma than is good for him, decides Nate is just what he needs. Nate’s sympathetic nature and skill in the bedroom are put to the ultimate test. But Hunter wants Nate for someone else – his brother, Ben. Nate is immediately attracted by the control with which Ben holds his sensitive nature in force. Too afraid of becoming a monster to allow himself to feel, Ben struggles to resist Nate’s generosity of emotion. As a vindictive necromancer makes Ben his target of revenge, Nate discovers that making people feel good doesn’t compare to making Ben feel. As Nate’s normal world crumbles around him, and he desperately searches for a way to save Ben, Nate is unable to escape becoming the necromancer’s latest victim.
But Nate’s death is only the beginning. Coming back to life in the bathroom of Gunn, a Department Seven officer who hates the vampire family that Ben and Hunter belong to, Nate doesn’t know who to trust or even what he is. As the necromancer’s trap pulls tighter around himself and Ben, Nate is forced to let go of normal and embrace powers he doesn’t fully understand. In defiance of Ben’s vampire sire and hunted by Department Seven, Nate and Ben finally learn to trust and rely on each other. But when the necromancer succeeds in capturing Ben, Nate alone can come to his rescue.
DNF at 69% **raises fist to the air** I tried!!! I tried so hard, I tried to read this book for 5 days. I got a little further and further. As I did get further, my frustrations got bigger and bigger. The writing was good. I liked Nate and Ben, I just didn’t understand the story. Honestly the writing was good for me, the dialogue, the conversation and back story is what is lacking.
In the beginning it was good, I kind of pushed through those “what does she mean?” moments. It was too many of those moments for me. I found myself trying to figure what happened, or what does it mean. A lot of the dialogue between the characters felt like they were abruptly ended. Most of the time, I felt like they were talking in code. It seems like it needed a prequel and maybe that might have worked for me. I honestly think the world building needed more sustenance. It needed to be explained a lot more for me.
I generally liked Ben and Nate together. Sure, I got tired of them trying to protect one another. I didn’t understand the references Nate kept making regarding his Dad. I’m glad he thought about them, but it didn’t make sense at all. It fell very flat to me and I liked the premise of where it was going. Though the blurb is a little misleading, I don’t think Hunter plays that big of character towards Nate. I think he was all about Ben. This just didn’t work for me.
I like the cover, but I did feel like it was misleading, the whole m/m/m trope isn’t really how it happens, but I did like the feel of the world on the cover.
Sales Links: Amazon | 
Book Details:
ebook
Published January 18th 2016 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781911153184
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://ninestarpress.com/product/thorns-and-fangs/
SeriesThorns and Fangs #1
A Stella Review: THE UGLIEST SWEATER by Gillian St. Kevern
Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
Dan’s favourite festive sweater is so ugly, it’s cost him not one but three boyfriends and sent him back to his parents’ place for the third Christmas in a row. About to give up hope of ever having a Christmas date, Dan meets Jake, a hot guy with a rock and roll edge. Jake is infatuated with Dan’s sweater but vanishes before Dan can decide if Jake is for real or really in need of an eye-check. After all, no one has ever liked the sweater.
Dan’s sweater is rocketed to national attention, when Jake’s radio colleagues launch a hunt for the mystery man in the hideous jumper. Dan jumps at the chance to meet Jake again, and they hit it off in a big way, to the accompaniment of intimate gigs, exclusive clubs, and the paparazzi. Dan falls hard, but despite obvious mutual attraction, Jake refuses to take him back to his apartment. Is the relationship real – or a ratings stunt? After all, Jake has a reputation for cool that Dan, a lowly gym instructor, could never approach. Is a fondness for tacky Christmas clothing the only thing they have in common? Or does uber-cool Jake hide a Christmas secret of his own?
“Have you lost your goddamn mind?”
“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?” Dan looked down at himself. “It’s only a sweater.”
Aston snorted. “That is ‘only a sweater’ the same way the Titanic was a bit of a wreck.”
Dan forced a laugh. “You can’t compare a sweater to an actual tragedy.”
“That sweater is an actual tragedy. Honestly, Dan. Have you gone blind?”
I honestly can say this story disappointed me a little, maybe my hopes were too high, because I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and then I read the blurb and thought The Ugliest Sweater could be original and sweet. What I got was a lovely reading with cute characters (main and secondary too) but nothing more. Even in stories so short, I need some characters’ background or just an epilogue to see where the relationship has gone after the first sex night together. While here I got none. As a matter of fact, the ending felt to me rushed and very unexpected, I turned page on my kindle and there was the author’s bio. It was frustating.
That said, if I try and forget about these things, I had a good holiday story, sweet and fluffy. I was looking for a light book because I was coming from a heavy reads, and The Ugliest Sweater was perfect, it took my mind away from dark places and filled it with colors and gingerbread smells.
Plus the cover art by Aria Tan caught my attention at first sight. It’s super cute and adorable.
Sales Links: NineStar Press | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 65 pages
Published December 14th 2015 by NineStar Press
isbn13 9781911153108
Edition Language English
In the Detective Spotlight: ‘Its A Sin’ by Steve Buford (excerpt and giveaway)
It’s A Sin ( Summerskill and Lyon # 1) by Steve Burford
Release Date: January 11, 2015
Purchase Links:
NineStar Press | Goodreads
Book Blurb
“He is a talented and very promising young policeman. Make no mistakes, he deserves the promotion.”
But when gay Detective Sergeant Dave Lyon is assigned to Detective Inspector Claire Summerskill’s team as part of the Service’s ‘positive discrimination policy’, no-one at Foregate Street Station is happy. And that includes Summerskill and Lyon.
Mutual suspicion and mistrust must be shelved however, when a young man’s beaten body is found on a canal tow path, and a dead-end case of ‘happy slapping’ unexpectedly turns into a murder investigation.
Why would someone want to kill middle class arts student Jonathan Williams? And how is his death linked to that of rent boy and would be ‘adult’ film star Sean?
As Summerskill and Lyon’s investigations proceed, the newly-promoted detectives begin to untangle a web of connections, false assumptions and sheer prejudices that force them both to question closely not just their relationship with each other but with the rest of their colleagues at Foregate Street Station and with the Police Service as a whole.
“It’s A Sin” is the first in the “Summerskill and Lyon” police procedural novels.
Genre: Crime Fiction
Tags: Literary, Murder Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Police Procedural
Pairing: M/M
Length: Novel
Excerpt
Three people walked past him on the canal path that cold November morning before anyone realised something was wrong.
The first, a professional man, out early for the morning paper, saw him sitting under the small footbridge that crossed the narrow strip of dark water. He took in the face-concealing hoodie, the flashy and doubtless ridiculously expensive trainers, and kept as far away from him as he possibly could without actually walking on the water itself. The skin on the back of his neck prickled nervously as he walked past the youth, and the Guardian was rolled tight in his fist ready to beat the lad off if he leapt on him from behind. But the slouched figure remained immobile, his back to the bridge’s crumbling brickwork, and the man passed by unscathed, relieved and curiously exhilarated.
A young mother pushing her pram had been next. She hesitated when she came upon the sitting figure, glanced nervously at the precious bundle in front of her, then steeled herself and marched straight past him, arms stiff, pram a small juggernaut. She passed safely, and laughed a little to herself at the frantic hammering of her heart and her breathlessness. She cooed nonsense to her child about ‘silly mummys’, and inwardly vowed never to go that way again at that time of the morning.
It was the elderly man walking his dog, diligently employing his pooper scooper, who wondered what a young lad would be doing sitting on the damp grass, propped against a dripping stone wall so early in the day, and who asked himself if, maybe, something might be wrong. He moved a little closer, pulling slightly at the dog suddenly grown restive on its lead. Perhaps the boy was drunk. Well, he’d had a couple of mornings like that himself when he’d been that age. Or maybe he was stoned or high or whatever the hell they called it nowadays. And what were you supposed to do then? He hesitated. His dog whined.
And then it hit the old man: what if the boy in front of him was dead?
Giveaway
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Coffee Sip and Book Break with ‘Compromised’ by Bailey Queen (guest post, excerpt and contest)
Compromised by Bailey Queen
Release Date: January 11, 2016
Purchase Links:
NineStar Press | Goodreads
Hi there!
I am delighted to be guest blogging on Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. It’s such an honor and a joy! Thank you for having me!
My name is Bailey Queen, and I am a new author to the MM Romance universe. I’ve written before, under a different pen name, and my current catalogue has a smattering of romance and erotica titles, some MF and some MM. MM Romance is my favorite genre, and I am loving life writing in this universe right now and getting to spend time with so many great people!
I was asked, “Where did you get your inspiration for these characters? How did you come up with this story?” Great questions! You see, I take a dartboard, and I tack some names up, some plot points, etc., and then I take a blindfold… Just kidding.
I actually like to build my stories wholly from my characters. I started with Ben. Ben is very near and dear to me. I know many Ben’s in my life, men who have left parts of themselves and their souls behind somewhere, thanks to conflict, war, or agonizing pain. They’ve cut something of themselves out, trying to never feel that loss, that emptiness, ever again.
For Ben, eight years of service in the military during the height of the Iraq War, including rough and brutal combat tours, have weighed heavily on him. On top of that, Ben had his heart ripped out, and the compounding effect of the loss and pain brought Ben to a complete halt. His heart and his soul froze, and he refused to feel anything, anything at all, ever again. He moved on with his professional career, entering the FBI, but his soulless approach to life dragged down everything he touched.
He’s tired, tired of trudging forward and tired of persevering. Ben guards himself with rigid barriers and harsh silence.
And then there’s Tanner. I created Tanner by listening to people’s desires. We hear, all the time, people wishing and dreaming for a different life. For something more exciting, more adventurous. Occasionally, some of us do have that kind of life, filled with adventure and intrigue. At the core of our lives, though, we always want the same thing—someone to share that life with.
Tanner is a man who, on the face of it, seemed to have everything. A dazzling career, a jet set lifestyle, a long string of lovers. Tanner was a former flight attendant, and he spent much of his life living in exotic locations and exploring the globe, and spending his nights with different men as often as he pleased. On the surface, Tanner’s life seemed be a dream. Wouldn’t we all want that? Adventure, travel, lust, and great sex?
There’s a hole in Tanner’s world, too, though. He’s missing the heart of his life, and while jet setting and exotic lovers are fun and fascinating, Tanner wants more. He wants the apple pie life. The morning after, and everything else. Bedhead and a shared closet. He wants a partner. When tragedy befalls his family, Tanner moves home and tries to set up a new life for himself, going back to his roots as a rancher in small town Pennsylvania.
He’s confident, but quietly so, comfortable in his skin in a way that we often wish we were. He’s lived, and he knows what he wants.
Ben—frozen in place and too rigid and hurt to move forward from the pain in his life—crashes into Tanner — a man who wants to find his partner and his equal—one night, with devastating consequences. What could *possibly* go wrong when these two men collide?
That one meeting—a single, stolen night—could have been the end of their story, but darkness from Tanner’s past rears its head, and Ben is called back to Tanner’s small town for the murder investigation. As the bodies begin to pile up, Ben and Tanner circle each other warily, both men wanting—and needing—something from the other. Both men are torn in half—Tanner by his past coming back to haunt him, and Ben by the force of the investigation, and his role as a lead FBI agent. Could the man he, almost inexplicably, is falling for be the murderer they seek?
What I hope worked for you in this story is the sizzling sexual tension, the cautious circling of the two men as they negotiate both each other and their own souls, and watching as they work together for a future where Ben and Tanner might be able to find space for each other inside their hearts and souls. I loved writing this story and sharing Ben and Tanner with you.
Thank you for having me!
~ Bailey Queen
Book Blurb
Murder in the country.
A one-night stand that refuses to end.
Ghosts from the past that return to haunt.
Special Agent Ben Diggs can’t stand what has become of his life, so much so that he hits the road one night, maybe to crash his bike, maybe to drive off into the night and never be heard from again. But he meets Tanner Bagley, a rancher from rural Pennsylvania in a hick dive bar, and sparks fly. For the first time since everything went to hell, he feels alive again.
Ben runs from his emotions as a rule, and he flees in the middle of the night, trudging back to his dreary life in Baltimore and his failing job as a FBI agent. But then his team is assigned to investigate a murder in that same backwater township in Pennsylvania where he met Tanner, and it’s a different set of sparks that fly when faces Tanner again.
As the bodies start to pile up, tensions flare, and Ben is stuck between teammates that question his every move and a devastatingly handsome rancher whose heart he bruised. The lies keep piling up, and Ben is forced to stake his career – and his very life – on the trembling hopes of his wounded heart.
Deep in the countryside, someone is hunting gay men in Middle Creek, Pennsylvania… Gay men all with ties to Special Agent Diggs’ one-night-stand…
Tags: Erotic Romance, Gay, M/M
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pairing: M/M
Length: Novel
Excerpt
Outside Gettysburg, on the highway halfway between the battlefield and nowhere, the tiny ranching township of Middle Creek boasted a one-stop diner and dive bar on its outskirts. Complete with an after-hours tack shop for all of your midnight ridin’ and ranchin’ needs, it was a neon oasis in an ocean of farmland. There was a mechanical bull in the back, and peanut shells and hay littered the split-wood floor. Wagon wheels and deer heads hung on the walls, as did Christmas lights. A rickety old karaoke machine belted tunes that were out of style the day they came out, decades ago. In one corner, a stage made up of leftover pallets bungee-corded together hosted the local talent—fiddlers, guitar strummers, and banjo killers—every Thursday evening.
On Fridays, it was “Prime Rib and Shrimp Special” night, and the diner was packed from four in the afternoon until eight in the evening. Afterward, only the drunks and the loners stayed, downing beers at the worn mahogany bar as bad Elvis covers droned amid twinkling Christmas lights and the buzzing glow of beer signs. Ben had been there once before, on another night when he just had to ride, to get away from everyone and everything. He hadn’t gotten drunk that night, but he’d been close. It was a modern miracle he’d made it home, and he’d stayed off the booze for a whole month after.
Tonight, he was going to get ripped. Look out, liver. Suit up, kidneys. Snorting, Ben tossed his keys into his helmet and cracked his neck. His eyes caught on his reflection in his mirrored visor. Messy dark hair, scruff that could only just be called a five o’clock shadow. Chapped lips turned down. And his eyes—God, when had he gotten so damn old? So damn worn down? His gray eyes were dead and dull, and he even bored himself. He spun his helmet around, banishing his reflection, and climbed off his bike. His jeans sighed, loosening around his balls and his thighs, and he unzipped his dark leather riding jacket as he strode into the bar.
Four other drunks tonight, two at the bar and two trading stories over mugs of beer at a back corner. They were old, at least one hundred and eighty four, and they had to be sharing memories of their time in the War of 1812. Were there Diggs dying in that war too? His pops had drilled him about their proud history, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember which illustrious ancestor had sacrificed in that war.
Ben slid onto a barstool at the very end of the bar—a signal for leave me the fuck alone—and propped his helmet up so he couldn’t see himself. He clasped his hands together, leaning against the mahogany, and waited.
After a good fuck long of a while, the bartender stopped drying his glasses and wandered over. His gaze lingered on the helmet and then slid over to Ben’s raised eyebrows. He stopped just outside the edge of Ben’s “don’t fuck with me” bubble.
“What’ll it be?” Bored, the old man waited for Ben’s order with a sour twist to his lips.
“Yuengling. And keep them coming.”
The bartender nodded and wandered off, filling a pint glass with Ben’s beer before sliding it back down the bar to him. Ben flipped his credit card out to open the tab and cracked his neck again, rolling his head from side to side.
Three beers in, and more bad Elvis covers, the bells over the diner’s door jangled, announcing a newcomer to the fray. Ben shot a glance over his slumped shoulder.
Blond hair caught his eyes. He sat up straighter and tried to get a better look, all the while trying to appear like he wasn’t interested at all.
He had blond hair, cut short and trimmed neatly, and a long-sleeved, plaid flannel shirt stretched over a firm, muscled body. As he moved toward the bar, Ben noticed tight, faded, button fly jeans cupped a firm ass and hugged down tight legs—legs meant for gripping and riding, for wrapping around thick, powerful mounts and holding on. In scuffed work boots, he stopped before the bar and hooked one onto the leg of a barstool as he leaned forward, resting against the bar top.
Slowly, Ben’s gaze wandered up the newcomer’s body, and he came face-to-face with the man’s raised eyebrow and quiet smirk. “Hi,” the blond said, never dropping that damned smirk. “That your bike outside?” He jutted his chin toward Ben.
“Huh?” Ben frowned. He sat back, and his elbow jostled his helmet. Oh, right. His helmet. Dead giveaway and all, just like he was being. He straightened, tried for nonchalance. “Yeah. Just stopped in for a few.” He nodded to his beer and shut his damn mouth before he got into more trouble.
“You’re not from around here.” It wasn’t a question. Blondie pulled out the barstool next to Ben and plopped down, still smiling. His chocolate eyes laughed at Ben as he stuck out his hand. “M’name’s Tanner.”
Ben stared and then slowly took it. He shook once, but pulled back when he felt Tanner’s thumb stroke down the back his hand. “Ben.” He turned back to his beer.
Author Bio
Bailey Queen is the pseudo name of a romance and erotica author. It’s my secret identity in the publishing world online. 🙂
Bailey Queen is a romance author who has been writing fiction since 2001. She’s recently started writing under this pseudo-name and is having a great time doing so! She writes adventure, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, and fantasy, all with a LGBTQA angle. She likes to challenge conventions and provide readers with interesting characters and storylines. Bailey has lived around the world, and she loves to put places she’s lived/traveled into her stories!
You can find Bailey Queen on Amazon, Goodreads, or Facebook.
Giveaway
NineStar Press is hosting a Rafflecopter Giveaway to run for the duration of the tour. Prizes will include a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a credit for a free book from the NineStar Press website. Below you’ll find the code for your blog.
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A Stella Review: For Want of a Christmas Miracle by Olley White
Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
When one down-on-his-luck gardener and one garden centre owner meet, neither could predict the attraction they’d feel towards each other. Toby is just about turning round the business he’d inherited from his dad, and it’s all going well—until a risk he took looks like it might not pay off. Rhys’s employment at Toby’s garden centre is temporary, just to cover the Christmas sales, and frankly he’d much rather be outside gardening. And avoiding Christmas.
When an accident means Toby can’t be at work at a crucial time, it’s time for Rhys to step up to the mark. But can the Christmas Scrooge make the difference required for the man he’s starting to love?
Honestly For Want of a Christmas Miracle by Olley White was not a success to me. I love a holiday story and I read a lot of them this past December. Although it was a lovely read it wasn’t what I was hoping for in a Christmas story. First of all, it lacked in clarity about the characters, starting with their ages for example or more background.
Something in the writing then didn’t work well. Not sure yet what it was but often I had to reread various sentences. The bigger problem is that the book and the relationship between Toby and Rhys, while likeable and sweet, weren’t really engaging. On the contrary I struggled a little because I got bored. What I liked was the actual development in the plot and the good ending. So to me this short story was yes, enjoyable but it lacked too many things to give it three full stars.
Cover Art by Aria Tan is really cute and I particularly like light and bright colors in covers, in this case the white of the snow. Well done.
Sales Links: NineStar Press | Amazon
Book Details:
Published December 6th 2015 by NineStar Press
Kindle Edition, 59 pages
ASIN B01915JE4C
Edition Language English
Holiday Hopes series #1
Head Into the Dark Zone with Scarlet Blackwell’s Forbidden (author guest blog, NSFW Excerpt and Giveaway)
Title: Forbidden by Scarlet Blackwell
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: November 30, 2015
Purchase Links: NineStar Press |Goodreads Link
~
Selling Soulmates Since 2009
Hi, I’m Scarlet Blackwell and I’m here to celebrate the release of my new book, Forbidden, with NineStar Press, an erotic m/m romance that sizzles with sexual tension, hot men and a millionaire hiding his true self from his colleagues. I would like to thank the blog owners for having me and tell readers a little bit about myself. I have been writing since I was a teenager but have only been published for six years. My predominate genre is m/m but I have also been known to pen the odd m/f or m/m/f and dabble in horror. I live in the UK and I only write part-time as I don’t earn enough to support myself. But I still dream of that day when I walk out of my day job. Who doesn’t? Dreams are what get us through the day, I guess.
As well as writing, my other main love is reading. I read everything – thrillers, horror, romance, you name it. Well, apart from Westerns. And chick lit. And those books with boring covers of a woman carrying a basket who probably works in a cotton mill. The ones aimed at your grandma. I don’t read those.
Anyway, where was I? I also make jewellery – a very on-off hobby as it always gets bumped right to the back of the queue. I’m even less successful at that than I am at writing.
Back to the writing. This book is about Jeremy, a pole dancer, and David, who one night wanders in to the seedy strip club where Jeremy works and falls instantly in love. Did I mention that I write stories of love at first sight? Because I don’t care what people say. It happens. Jeremy comes with baggage and David has to get through that if he wants any chance of claiming Jeremy as his own. We’re all looking for a hero. David is it.
Book Blurb
When things are forbidden, you merely want them more…
Vice-president David should have had it all–nice cars, the most expensive restaurants and the finest clothes. But he hides a secret from all his colleagues–he’s gay. He’s too scared to come out at work so he spends his evenings cruising for company and frequenting strip clubs. In one such place, he meets pole dancer Jeremy, a young man with problems of his own. Jeremy’s controlled by his boss Donny and soon David’s interest starts to spell danger for them both…
Genre: Gay, Contemporary Romance
Pairing: M/M
Length: Novella
Excerpt NSFW
Coxx was new to him. A last stop at the end of a night of solitary drinking. Somewhere he’d always wanted to go but had been afraid to. Not that night. That night alcohol gave him courage beyond his wildest dreams. After his tough day at work, he didn’t care about denying himself anymore.
The seedy male strip club was nestled at the ass end of West Hollywood, tucked away almost apologetically among the back streets. Its windows promised hot male dancers to cater to every whim. The carpet was sticky, but the beer was cold. A long runway featured shiny brass poles currently occupied by two dancers. The place was half-full, a slow night.
David Ackroyd sat on a stool at the edge of the stage, his gaze on the lithe blond at the end of the runway. He hadn’t expected to find any of the dancers worth more than titillation, but since the young man first slunk from behind the velvet curtains, he’d had David’s rapt attention.
He was average height with a lean, tanned body. All strong limbs and toned muscle, he wore nothing more than a sparkly silver thong and silly matching boots. The dancer’s plump, pert ass mesmerised David as he shook it in time to an old Mötley Crüe song and gyrated in front of a group of four giggling women.
Perhaps David hadn’t expected to see women in a place like Coxx, but why not? Ogling nearly naked men wasn’t the province of gay men alone; women had as much right to get their kicks as he did. The blond dancer played up to his audience by sliding to his knees and letting the women stroke his thighs and press bills into his thong. David doubted he would let his male admirers get quite so fresh with him. Having a man grope you was different. More intimidating, fraught with risk.
David took a swallow of Jack Daniel’s and Coke, wishing for a better look at the blond dancer. He glanced at the other man on the runway, a brunet. He was ripped and hard but nothing special to look at. He seemed tired, jaded and only spared each person at the edge of the stage fleeting attention. That was fine by David. He only had eyes for the blond.
To continue reading, you state you are 18 years of age or over by clicking here.
Author Bio
Scarlet likes cats and hats and firmly believes that the only thing better than one attractive man is two attractive men.
Email: scarlet.blackwell@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.scarletblackwell.com/Pages/default.aspx
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScarletBlckwl?lang=en-gb
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scarlet.blackwell
Blog: http://scarletblackwell.blogspot.co.uk
Giveaway
NineStar Press is hosting a Rafflecopter Giveaway to run for the duration of the tour. Prizes will include a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a credit for a free book from the NineStar Press website. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and NineStar Press.
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Coffee Sip and Book Break with Elizabeth Wilde of Defiant Loyalties by Elizabeth Wilde (interview,excerpt and giveaway)
Defiant Loyalties by Elizabeth Wilde
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: November 23, 2015
Purchase Links: NineStar Press | Amazon
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Elizabeth Wilde here today to talk about Defiant Loyalties and tell us a little bit about herself and the writing experience. Welcome, Elizabeth!
Hello! I’m thrilled to be here for my very first ever guest post/novel/you name it. Defiant Loyalties is my debut.
It’s not every day—or any day—you get to reach out to people like this, so whilst I was scrabbling to come up with something interesting to say, a thought struck me. Quite simply, I’m petrified!
I never expected the actual writing of this book to be the easy part.
Defiant Loyalties is the story of Jack Preston, the son of a corrupt politician, as he fights for the things he deserves: love, freedom, peace of mind. He’s thrown headlong into the world of mysterious assassin Alex, often by his own stubborn and curious nature, and together they must navigate the colliding of those worlds, the risks they’re willing to take.
Now I am no Jack Preston, but I feel a little thrown headlong into a new world myself—my own stubborn and curious nature notwithstanding.
Going from a fairly unassuming job to publishing something feels like a huge step. So huge, in fact, that I still can’t buy it, even though it’s happening to me right this minute.
The other day someone told me I seemed surprisingly nonchalant about the whole affair. Apparently, I have an amazing poker face because what I’m actually experiencing is more akin to internal silent terror—with a touch of excitement, which comes and goes depending on the day. It’s a strange combination, like riding up the chain of a rollercoaster, approaching that first hill. Surreal and out of your control, the only way forward is barreling down at eighty miles per hour screaming.
Perhaps that’s a good thing, though. This awestruck fear keeps me appreciating this opportunity, remembering that nothing is ever certain in this world, and that when good things come along, to grab on with both hands and make the absolute most of it.
Book Blurb
All Jack Preston has ever wanted is freedom: from his father’s oppressive political reign, from his mother’s dying memory, from his own guilt in the part he’s played to get George Preston to the top. When an assassination attempt is made on his father’s life, Jack is thrown into a dangerous game of lies and espionage, and as his whole world destabilizes, he finds himself turning to the most unlikely person for help.
Alex—the assassin who started it all; the man whose face haunts Jack’s dreams—becomes his only ally. As they come together to fight a bigger enemy, Jack’s attraction becomes a risk too large to take and too powerful not to. Will falling in love with a dangerous killer play right into his enemy’s hands? Or will Alex risk everything to protect the son of the man he was sent to murder? Loyalties will be tested and sacrifices made, but Jack will learn that some things are truly worth fighting for.
Genre: Gay, Romantic Suspense
Pairing: M/M
Length: Novel
Excerpt
He approaches the thoroughfare in a daze, drugged off the powerful sensation of gravity tugging him home, and the shadowy figure he spots halfway down doesn’t concern him for half a minute or so while he happily indulges himself.
Until suddenly it does.
His steps falter but don’t stop, axis of gravity abruptly shifted, and now Jack’s walking toward the figure instead, in the grip of some terrible, warped sense of inevitability with his heart rate kicking up.
His boots against the ground feel like a march, and he finds he’s angry. Fraught with fear, yeah, but angry nonetheless. Worse, it’s a petty anger, a kind of outrage that’s got him thinking how dare you even though he’s almost positive he brought this one on himself.
The figure stands with his stance wide and easy and his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, casual as anything. He’s wearing All Stars and Jack has to be fucking hallucinating right now, spent too long obsessing over this with no exposure to the outside world to ground him.
The figure tells Jack, “Hey,” thoroughly doing away with that notion.
“Hey?”
The Goddamn assassin raises his eyebrows. “It’s a term of greeting.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Jack snaps. “Gotta say, it’s a massive improvement from your first one.”
The guy shrugs a shoulder, mouth quirking up at one corner, and fuck, Jack had somehow forgotten how striking he was. Under the sodium lampposts, standing against the gray-shaded sugar maples, he’s almost otherworldly—or maybe that’s just Jack’s abused brain whirring, fever-pitched imagination running wild with him like a kid let out for the first time on its own.
“Is this it, then?” Jack goes on, still dripping in sarcasm. “Time to say my prayers?”
“Walk with me?”
Jack does an honest-to-God spit-take, levelling a glare. “Walk with you.”
“You can keep repeating what I say if you like.”
Jack does, thanks. “Walk with you?”
“You haven’t gone running to your armed guard for help,” he points out and then, with a quiet weight, “It’s important.”
I’m sorry about this. Jack hears it over and over, a litany always inhabiting him, and this man had stood in his father’s study with a gun, apologizing for a murder he was a split-second away from committing. Two days ago he’d handed Jack a threatening note, flirting with him while he did it.
Jack shakes his head. He wrenches himself away, one, two steps, turning his back on the face that’s been dogging him for a week now because if he doesn’t—
“Jack.”
If he doesn’t, Jack’s going to do something like fucking walk with him.
Back still turned, Jack states the very obvious. “You know my name.”
“Lotta people know your name. Your real one, anyway.”
He spins at that. “How did you—”
“This is important,” the man repeats gravely, but there’s still an easiness to his stance, a kind of open appeal. He’s drawing Jack in just like the flirting; good at his job, Jack thinks dizzily.
“Tell me your name, first.”
He doesn’t answer right away, sound of nothing but the trees swaying while he looks up at Jack with his head tipped down—really good at his job, then. There’s a definite reluctance there, but beyond that, Jack really can’t guess what he’s thinking; maybe games of chess in his head, working out moves and countermoves, assessing Jack for danger.
“Alex.”
Jack tries it out in his mouth—“Alex”—and finds it suits him whether it’s real or not. “Fine, Alex, let’s walk.”
Alex cocks his head, gesturing to the end of the thoroughfare so Jack supposes they’re heading away from the house and out into the city. A small mercy, at least.
They fall into step, Alex tossing Jack curious little sideways glances but otherwise staying perfectly quiet, until they come out onto the boulevard and under the open night sky, clear except for the spotty clouds moving time-lapse fast in the lower atmosphere.
There, Alex belatedly speaks. “You’ve been drawing attention to yourself.”
“That an art pun?”
Another curious glance and Jack stays looking resolutely forward; he’s really not sure indulging himself or this guy is the right thing to do.
“Maybe. Thanks for the sketch, by the way.”
“Oddly polite for someone who handed me a threat in return.”
“Which you didn’t take seriously.”
“So that is why you’re here, because I googled some asshole judge?”
“Look, Jack—”
Jack immediately bristles. “Why am I drawing attention to myself? What’s so important that you gotta follow me around town and spirit me away into the night like this, after you—after you tried to fucking—”
“I was sent to give you the note,” Alex interrupts, carefully placing every syllable like they’re practiced. “I wasn’t sent tonight.”
Jack turns his head, trying to get some sort of equal footing here. “And what does that mean?”
“I’m trying to help you.”
About the Author
Author Bio
Elizabeth is a debut author from the north of England. With a long-time passion for writing, at eight years old she attempted to write and illustrated her very own Goosebumps books, as well as an ongoing series of solve-it-yourself mysteries, and several stories about a single lady living her life with an unfortunate perm. One day she hopes that practice will pay off, but until then she’s been recently adopted by two cats and gets by working for the government.
Email: libbydwilde@hotmail.com
Website: http://elizabethdwilde.wordpress.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/elizabethdwilde
Giveaway
NineStar Press is hosting a Rafflecopter Giveaway to run for the duration of the tour. Prizes will include a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a credit for a free book from the NineStar Press website. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by NineStar Press.
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There’s a New LGBTQIA Press In Town! Welcome to NineStar Press (Launch & Competition)
There’s a new LGBTQIA Press in town. NineStar Press is no open for business…early! Check them out and enter their fabulous contest for 52 free books!
Welcome to NineStar Press!
“We’re so thrilled now to let you know that the full NineStar Press website is live! You can check it out here: http://www.ninestarpress.com . We hope it appeals to you, and that you find our brand something you’d be happy to promote in future. We really love how it’s turned out, and we can’t wait until our big launch in November so we can start bringing our books to readers!
And speaking of readers, we’ve just opened a competition for one lucky reader to win free NineStar Press books for a year: http://ninestarpress.com/competition/ . One free book a week, every week, for a whole year — 52 free books!
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr to keep up to date on the new releases and authors at NineStar Press! Or just sign up for our newsletter email!
Many thanks, NineStar Press”
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 